Did Mr. Guiliani register as a foreign agent?
5
Only the best people.
8
Why do people still support this individual when he is so willing to throw them under the bus. "I'm not sure if he is still my lawyer," really? Or "I never knew him/them/he was just a coffee boy. " Who supports people like that? And why would you?
12
Et tu, Rudy!
8
Is there ANYONE in this administration who isn't corrupt?
20
"Only the best people."
9
And when Rudy gets busted, you can bet that Trump will claim he never really knew Rudy, that he met him maybe once or twice, and that he really had no idea Rudy was fooling around in Ukraine. God yes, look them all up.
13
If true, rather amazing. After all Rudy Giuliani is -- a) a lawyer, and b) the lawyer of the President of the United States.
5
Dear Mr. Giuliani,
How does it feel to follow in Michael Cohen's footsteps?
10
By his actions and words in support of a corrupt unhinged President, Rudi spits on the graves of the heroes of 9/11. His legacy will forever be as a stooge to the fool who has done more harm to our country than the terrorists who plowed planes into our buildings could ever have imagined. Good job, Mr. Mayor.
10
Dear Rudy,
The wheels of the big bus go round and round.
It's a great bumpy ride when your on it
But not so much when your under it.
Just ask Mr. Cohen
7
Poetic justice would be Ms. Yovanovitch running for the presidency.
5
@Truthiness : We’d probably be best served with her as Secretary of State or EU ambassador. Or just having her return to Ukraine; she clearly knows and cares for the people there at least as much as she knows and cares for the people of the USA.
3
Even without rushing to judgment as to what laws he did or did not break here, what a fall from grade for Mr. Mayah. Somehow he’s become the answer to “what do you get if you combine foreign cronies and unhinged TV appearances with Lee Atwater”
2
Guess who is going under the bus next Rudy?... Hope you like axel grease and exhaust fumes, because Donny ain’t takin’ none of the blame, him and the republicans are gonna try and pin it all on you to save their own skins.
You should of just taken your title of “America’s mayor” and been happy with that moment of glory.
But, this couldn’t have happened to a more deserving guy.
6
Giuliani and Trump have always thought they were in the clear because Giuliani isn’t ‘getting paid’. A mobster tactic that most mobsters would roll their eyes at.
12
Of course.
We actually see and hear Joe Biden say he abused his office and threatened Ukraine when they were under siege by Russia to the benefit of a company his son worked for...but it's RUDY that's dirty.
Riiiight. And I've got oceanfront property in Colorado to sell you.
You Democrats who keep pushing and enabling this nonsense are in for a massive wake-up call next November when Trump wins more states than he won in 2016.
2
@The Commoner: your first paragraph is completely untrue.
And for your own sake and that of your children, you better hope sane heads prevail and this conniving and reality-denying party is shown the door in 2020.
11
Those who live in the Midwest have no idea what a dark character Rudy Giuliani has been in New York politics all these years. His image was temporarily saved by 911 but he has always been a man of questionable tactics and ethics . If you lived in New York for 35 years as I did , you would know exactly what I’m talking about. We all need an education sooner or later.
8
It seems pretty clear that Giuliani would become entangled in trump's crime web in much the same way as Michael Cohen. Rudy needs to be squeezed as hard as he would have squeezed when he was a prosecutor.
7
Can’t wait for the movie!
3
@Melissa The last movie was called "All the President's Men". This one will be "Swamp Things".
7
Women will save our democracy.
Pelosi, Yovanovich, Warren, RBG, Sotomayor, Kagan, and women voters everywhere who will not be denied again.
21
couldn't happen to a more well deserving guy
3
Who would have thought that going on TV and announcing your criminal activity would invite scrutiny?
4
Frankly I’m getting tired of Americans making big bucks by undermining our nation and its institutions. Giuliani is starting to look a lot like Paul Manafort and he deserves to end up in the same place. The one thing all these traitors seem to have in common is a connection to Russia and Trump.
13
From every high school English class comes the knowledge after reading Shakespeare..."power corrupts...absolute power corrupts absolutely." From squashing organized crime to being a made-man in the Truml administration (if true)...he becomes another cliche.
2
I believe the quote is attributed to Lord Acton,19th century British politician.
3
Trump surrounds himself with sycophants who are easily cast off as fall guys. How soon before Trump declares "he hardly knows Giuliani "?
3
DT: "I don't know if he's my lawyer, I haven't talked to him"
5
When Trump starts to defend Giuliani, you will know that he has threatened to take Trump down with him during the investigation
3
Dems need to fast-track this Impeachment process.
4
When will both Giuliani and William Barr be disbarred? The evidence is pretty clear at this point.
6
This what you get with trump's deep fake government. A government of temps and mercenaries. trumps Crime Inc has infiltrated our government because he isn't required to vet and have passed the people he gives orders to.
7
Giuliani has already thrown Trump under the bus. It’s only a matter of time before Trump reciprocates. This is going to get very nasty; two New York criminals going at it on the national stage.
6
Lock Rudy up!
Mr. Guiliani can take the cell next to Mr. Manafort or Mr. Cohen.
Mr. Trump used the past tense in referring to Mr. Guilani as his lawyer. The same shift in tense happened shortly before Mr. Cohen was indicted.
4
The honesty out of the White House can be summed up by the President asserting, I haven’t spoken to Rudy, followed immediately by, I spoke to him yesterday.
2
As well he should be. Great job U.S. District Attorney in Lower Manhattan. With all my heart I hope Donald Trump and anyone involved in his corruption does hard-time in federal prison. Michael Cohen Trump's one time attorney got busted. Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort got busted. Why not Giuliani?
2
Guiliani is a criminal. He needs to be tried and convicted for his criminal behavior of being a private citizen attempting to make deals in the name of the United States with other nations.
6
The honesty out of the White House can be summed up by the President asserting, I haven’t spoken to Rudy, followed immediately by, I spoke to him yesterday.
2
Giuliani, the man who famously criminalized poor people trying to earn a living at intersections in NYC in the 90's just found himself at the intersection. But he doesn't want to clean your windshield. He wants to clean his compatriots memories of all the dirty little secrets they know about and Trump and himself..
Get to his "friends" before Trump's handlers get to them to "clean" their memories. No more Stormy Daniels threats Rudy and Donny! No more!
6
Zircon knuckles. How perfectly Trumpian.
2
“His OWN White House...???”
IT belongs to WE the People!
“Swamp”. “Cesspool”. Not HIS! OURS.
Have WE forgotten?
Did we ever really know?
Learn?
Make an adequate effort to understand?
The outcomes of passive complacency.
Of seeded and harvested complicity of many ordinary folk.
Who choose to BE willfully blind.
Who choose to BE willfully deaf.
Who choose to BE willfully indifferent.
Who choose to BE willfully ignorant amidst available and accessible generalizable FACTS.
Who choose, increasingly, to transmute praying to...into preying on...
Who choose to BE Silent when targeted outrage is called for.
Ordinary folk. All around.
In an enabled toxic WE-THEY
daily violating culture in a
divided nation of diverse Peoples,
led by countless personally-unaccountable
policymakers, elected and selected,
at all levels. Parties. Political ideologies.
The Chosen Ones and his loyal Disciples!
What are OUR choices NOW?
4
We need to let all the muck and slime that has accumulated in the government since Trump became POTUS ooze out so that the next president and a new Congress can cleanse the filth from our government and restore the democracy that our Founding Fathers envisioned. Let Trump's tenure in the White House be just a temporary illness that we will recover from and which will immunize us against such corrupt administrations for long into the future.
4
I count at least 30 diamonds embedded in the sparkling, not-so-subtle pinkie ring featuring almost as prominently in the photo as his bushy eyebrows.
Not sure DJT's massive re-election war-chest --filled to the brim by the donations of America's benign, arms-length totalitarians -- will also cover his legal fees.
One can only hope he still has the receipt.
2
Those two fixers had a lunch meeting with Rudy the same day they tried to take a one way ticket out of here. Rudy had a ticket to the same city the next day. He claimed that was a pure coincidence - yet after they got arrested he cancelled his trip. What kind of assistance to fugitives was he planning to do?
7
If you have ever seen him talk he could probably get off with a plea of insanity. Although with what he has tried to pull with the false documentation he should be prosecuted & disbarred.
3
So how long until Berman gets the same treatment that Ambassador Yovanovitch received? Don't think that they would not do it. They are shameless in their corruption.
The conservatives and Republicans, with Russian help, have foisted a criminal presidential administration onto our country. The rest of us had better wake up to that reality before it is too late.
4
It could not happen to a "nicer man" who was once honorable and on the right side of the law. Now a "water carrier" and personal lawyer of and for dishonorable, amoral and perpetual lying Trump, flaunting the laws of the land that he once so eagerly defended.
1
@GECAUS he was never honorable. His prosecution team did all the work busting the Italian mob. Rudy just took credit for it.
2
I recall Giuliani’s mayoral leadership during the early years of my time in NYC, and compare it to his current behavior. Unlike many, I remember very clearly his crassness, his bullying and baseness on full display- anything to get his way, no matter the human cost, particularly where the poor were involved. I’ll never forget his drive to “clean up” Times Square- when he was asked where the strip joints and pornography shops should relocate, he suggested Coney Island, one of the few public places where the poor had access to a beach and amusements for the price of a subway token. A couple of years later, he cemented his hatred of such an egalitarian haven by illegally demolishing the Thunderbolt roller coaster, for the sake of a pet project along the boardwalk. This was Giuliani in a nutshell, despite his jingoistic opportunities post-9/11, and I am not remotely surprised by where he is today.
Enjoy your just desserts, Rudy.
4
Who pays Giuliani? Not us, I hope. He is not a government employee.
1
I wonder now. Is Trump throwing all these people under the bus to avoid his own involvement, that Ukraine was not his idea? I can only guess why Wm. Barr is allowing this investigation to happen. It can't be that Giuliani was promised a pardon. He would still be putting his NY law license in jeopardy.
The best soap opera in town.
1
“The president sought to distance himself earlier on Friday from Mr. Giuliani, saying he was uncertain when asked whether Mr. Giuliani still represented him. “I haven’t spoken to Rudy,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “I spoke to him yesterday quickly. He is a very good attorney and he has been my attorney.”
Mate, Rudy, you are in serious trouble. Someone is going to prison and you need to think about who that will be.
3
Though Rudy says he declined an offer of employment from Lutsenko, he obviously did the work Lutsenko was seeking to hire him for. He just did it for free. And had "someone in [his] company" write and disseminate what Lutsenko wanted. Rudy did all this out of the goodness of his heart. I see.
3
Rudy was all spin at least that was my impression in the 1990’s when I mentioned him in a conversation with someone from New York City. She laughed and said he wasn’t at all like what was portrayed in the media. From that point on I took a closer look. Rudy was always Rudy an egotistical self centered and self aggrandizing human being.
4
"I haven't spoken to Rudy, I spoke to him yesterday." Beautiful.
7
I'm thinking of the meme "lock him up". It sounds like a plan for Rudy
3
All greedy. All deluded. All corrupt. Not a patriot in the bunch.
The only question left unanswered is whether the GOP will continue to protect this gang of thugs.
If not, the GOP gets Mike Pence. If yes, the GOP faces the wrath in 2020 of every American who is watching in horror the Trump hate rallies.
It should be an easy choice, and the fact that the GOP seems unable to do its sworn duty to the nation is yet another reason to show up for the day of reckoning at the polls.
4
Careful here.
The duet "Lev and Igor" being indicted does mean that they can now invoke the 5th Amendment to refuse to testify in the impeachment inquiry??
If Giuliani were indicted, it would be the same?
Criminal trials are very long and the accused can be pardoned without reason at any time?
The impeachment inquiry loses very valuable and central witnesses?
Barr approved the indictements?
Hum....
Let's not forget Kevin K. McAleenan, who just "resigned" from DHS. Here's why: People's lives were ruined -- and others died while he tried to find the right "tone" to carry out his Trumpian Orders and Mission. Acting or appointed, McAleenan -- and every other person in a position like his -- should be held accountable for their actions and the human toll they took. UNLESS: We the People grant them forgiveness if they come forward NOW and tell us all that they know! Stand up and be an American!
Good. I can't think of someone who deserves investigating more than Rudy
The comments are just awesome.
Distilled down to simple truths.
2
Rudy's toast. Trump says he hasn't spoken to him and doesn't know if he is still his attorney. Yet another guy Trump throws under the bus -- and yet another one a normal person would not want as an enemy. Can't wait for Rudy to turn on old DJT.
2
We need a national independent watchdog website which clearly documents crimes and cowardice of politicians. This way, even if they flip later and use silly defenses, a clear fact and evidence based history of their actions is available for anyone to read.
As soon as Trump's position becomes untenable, a lot of high profile republicans will start using the defense that 'we always knew Trump was horrible but he held us hostage'. People who are real patriots do not use such defenses.
Second, as it has become abundantly clear, Trump voters are despicable people who will rather burn down the country than do something that's good for the society as a whole. Let these people eat dust for the remainder of their lives. No point in trying to convert them. We need to institute policies that they can use to uplift themselves out of poverty but stop making any overtures to these racist, vile and toxic citizens of the U.S. They can either learn to swim or sink.
2
There are few things that would be more satisfying than watching Rudy Giuliani go down in the flames of his own making.
Not only because he deserves that kind of comeuppance for his unrelentingly obnoxious and arrogant behavior -- but because as a lawyer, he should've at least known better than to take on Donald Trump as a client at the expense of all his claims of being for "law and order", since that would make him the ultimate hypocrite.
The game is up.
And pretending to be "America's Mayor" isn't going to help him anymore.
3
The Biden’s can take all the money they want to out of the Ukraine. And that seems to be just fine. Nothing illegal there I am told. But it just looks terribly wrong.
So, we HAVE determined that Guiliani is NOT a government employee, and would never be officially sent by a legitimate State Department, or the "Executive Branch" to do any official work for the people of the United States, yes? Who's been PAYING for all of this, BTW?
3
The ultimate question:
Will Rudy flip?
1
Equal protection under the law seems to greatly diminished with prosecutorial discretion.
Amazon's descriptions of the book
"Three Felonies A Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent Paperback" – June 7, 2011
by Harvey Silverglate (Author), Alan M. Dershowitz (Foreword)
contains :
"The average professional in this country wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes home, eats dinner, and then goes to sleep, unaware that he or she has likely committed several federal crimes that day. "
In my opinion politics triggers the application or failure to apply often unrelated laws. If you are close to someone the State or Federal justice system wants to pursue, watch out. Charging you makes a tool for turning against that person. If you are the primary target, don't do the equivalent of going a few miles over the speed limit, or coasting through a stop sign on an open country road.
The law provides pretty good protection against being thrown in jail for something you did not do. It also, allows a targeted person to get thrown in jail for something people do all the time.
This seems so contrary to equal treatment under the law. How much would we care about Trump, Biden, or Giuliani's legal matters of Trump and Biden were not running for President. And if the answer is very little, do we have equal treatment under the law?
This sends a good message to America but it does not mean that there will not be other Giulianis and Manaforts who in a corrupt way would anything for power and that Trump will keep using them and, getting rid of them when they get in "trouble".
I expect the president to tweet soon saying he barely knew Giuliani. Lots of his followers will believe it and, some Senators will quote the tweet.
1
As a retired NYPD Det. who was “on the job” during Rudy’s shot at being mayor-I thought he was self consumed then and has only gotten worse with age. He may have been considered “America’s Mayor” by many, however, behind the scenes it was “one for all and all for me - Rudy!” Then again, he was still better than the joke who sits in City Hall now.
2
So Guiliani is supposedly representing Trump - a billionaire - for free.
And Guliani is being paid by these sketchy Ukrainian guys a lot.
So Trump gets our government to help the sketchy Ukrainian guys as a favor to Guiliani instead of paying Guiliani.
This is how mob family payoffs work.
3
The article states “Mr. Giuliani said that because Democrats had questioned his business consulting for foreign clients, his contracts explicitly say he does not lobby or act as an agent of foreigners.”
Well if that’s the case, then stop the investigation immediately! I’m sure we can trust Vampire Rudy to put such language in his contracts and never violate their terms. Exonerated!
2
Sweet irony..if he is indicted by the same office he used to head.
3
So when does all of this wake up middle America to vote with integrity?
4
Gee, another Trump associate committing illegal acts, and making a lot of money in the process - this is getting so repetitious it's almost boring. And why is a personal attorney of Trump’s, hired to protect the Pres from investigation, conducting any sort of foreign affairs?
"It is also a stark turn for Mr. Giuliani, who now finds himself under scrutiny from the same United States attorney’s office he led in the 1980s, when he first rose to prominence as a tough-on-crime prosecutor..." A lot of money has turned Giuliani from anti-crime into a criminal with many lame excuses. To work for this mafia-president, you have to be 'personally loyal' to him, usually meaning you have to be a criminal.
Giuliani; "...I was representing the president of the United States,”.
But Trump is "uncertain when asked whether Mr. Giuliani still represented him".
This is the beginning of Trump dumping Giuliani under the bus like so many others. Soon Donnie will say he was 'just a bit player, I barely knew the guy, didn't know what he was up to, haven't talked with him in years...'. When Giuliani is charged and testifies that Trump directed the whole thing, we can expect the same trash-tweeting as he did to Sessions, Cohen and so many more.
1
Mr. Giuliani has chosen TRUMPISM for patriotism. That‘s not a crime but lack of self-respect and honor.
1
"Mr. Giuliani now finds himself under scrutiny from the same United States attorney’s office he led in the 1980s." The irony here is simply delicious...
2
Ironically
“Rule of law”
Has a similar cadence to
“Lock him up”
Coincidence?
1
You don't hear anything from AG Barr.What does Trump have him locked up in a closet until he needs him.I think the country that pays his wages wouldn't mind him stepping up to the plate and doing his job for the AMERICAN people right about now.I mean he's like the top attorney for the people of the US (supposed to be) and should be on top of this Giuliani corruption.
2
As a connoisseur of crooked politicians, I believe Mr. Giuliani is in a class by himself. Not only are Rudy’s transgressions particularly despicable (and profitable), his pinkie ring is outstanding. Packed with tiny diamonds, the shape is derivative of a championship ring. It fits the man perfectly.
1
Giuliani is exactly the personal lawyer Trump deserved. Trump's choice of Giuliani as his personal attorney tells everyone with an actual working brain exactly why Trump should not be the chief executive of the American government. Trump's inability to choose competent honorable intelligent administrators to carry out the tasks of governance has been disastrous. Never forget there is a reason why Trump has gone through multiple bankruptcies before he began bankrupting the country.
1
The statute referenced here is known as FARA. It was enacted in the 1930’s to control foreign agents lobbying for the Germans before WW Ii. Lobbyists for German interests were required to register so the US government could keep track of their activities. Covert lobbying was the target of the law.
Deeming Giuliani a foreign agent seems a stretch. But fearing covert activity on his part is absurd. Giuliani never shuts up about what he is up to. And the press follow his every move. According to the Washington Post, the US Attorney leaned of all Giuliani’s questioned activities by reading newspaper accounts. Giuliani is about covert as Trump.
This investigation is trash.
How easily Trump and Giuliani crush people who have served their country with honor, dignity and skill. Giuliani had a brief moment where he was loved for his actions after 911. One wonders now what kind of crack in the universe allowed him to act in a helpful and meaningful manner for one brief moment. It seems the craving for the spotlight and center stage crush everything that could have been good about him. This man deserves prison for what he did to the able and honorable diplomat to Ukraine. Crushing a long career for vanity. Makes me sick to my stomach.
2
And a few weeks from now we will hear Donald Trump say "Rudy Giuliani? I hardly know him." And the wheels of the bus are falling off.
1
Halloween could be renamed "Giuliani Time" as Mr. Giuliani seems increasingly like a resurrection gone wrong as some of the characters do in the humorous horror movie "Pet Semetary"
1
We need a new term to express simply the way in which bad actors such as America's Mayor are maliciously exploiting social media to gain their personal and in some cases sociopathic ends at the expense of the good of the country, or society generally, as a whole.
Intersmear? As in:
"He intersmeared his electoral opponent by causing fake rumors to be posted about her private life."
Intersmarm, and extensions? As in:
"The campaign against Marie Yovanovich orchestrated by Rudy Giuliani was based largely on intersmarminess."
We also need a single word for what is going on now with Trump.
Trumpgate is an obvious choice.
Anyone got anything better?
Ah, the Trump off-load in perfect fashion.
'Guiliani, I never knew him. I don't know him. At best he was a coffee boy.'
Pence: (hides in corner)
*tweet*
'Guiliani is no longer my attorney'
1
Naw, really, Lindsey Graham can fix this. Call Rudy to the Senate to testify like Lindsey bragged. Lindsey can ask Rudy open ended questions and allow Rudy to give long rambling narratives because of course Rudy will see no need to assert the Fifth Amendment, and if that is incorrect, "I beg your pardon."
Then John Cornyn, a former Texas Supreme Court Justice, can lead Rudy through a series of question which deny the allegations because Cornyn has no concern about Tex. State Bar Rule 3.03(a).
1
Another great Tea Pot Dome alignment!
Secretary Fall pressured Harding to give his Interior Department the authority held by the Navy to lease their oil reserves. How else could he enjoy a massive kickback with the Navy in his way?
Trump and Company changed the track of our diplomatic feedback so he could pursue his interests rather than those of our national security, so of COURSE there has to be a kickback.
There now seem to be three "models" for how folks in the government are countering the obfuscation, lying and perversion of the Trump government:
1) whistle blowing (Intelligence Community)
2) complying with Congressional subpoenas (even when it means defying the sycophants running their agencies like State Department)
3) a resurgent DOJ and FBI (i.e. the Southern District of New York)
I'd love to see some explanation of how #3 came to pass when the DOJ is being led by William Barr. Did the SDNY/FBI just strike out on its own and decide it was going to start enforcing America's laws despite its top leadership, or is there some side of Barr that is not completely lawless?
Rudy claimed he is the REAL whistleblower. Trump wanted the Whistleblower investigated, and finally, got his wish. Thanks Santa!
1
Has anyone figured out the details of Paul Manaforte's deal with Ukraine? How much of the $19 million plus that he laundered can be traced back to funds originating as aid from the United States? Based on what we now know about how hundreds of millions of dollars flows to Ukraine (with provisions attached) someone should do us all a favor and provide some forensic accounting. And if Giuliani testifies, someone should ask him if he and Manaforte discussed any financial arrangements.
2
Once thought to be an honorable man, he has sold his soul to a devil and like so many others he soon will be thrown under the bus as his service is no longer needed. Farewell Rudy.
Another awful man who believes he is entitled to special privileges. Since he left public service, he has been a complete disaster. He is the perfect side kick to Trump. Both have zero redeeming qualities and a belief that they are above the law. Problem for Rudy is that he is relying on Trump to save him. And we all know that Trump only looks out for Trump.
1
Mr. Giuliani was once quite a smart individual; lately, not so much.
What is this 'America's Mayor' stuff? Seriously. He threw first responders so far under the bus in terms of their healthcare. Took every opportunity to try and take away the spotlight from them and put it on himself at every funeral. He was awful, before and after. He enjoyed the police state. Only if you live here would you understand.
1
Gee, another Trump associate committing illegal acts, and making a lot of money in the process - this is getting so repetitious it's almost boring. And why is a personal attorney of Trump’s, hired to protect the Pres from investigation, conducting any sort of foreign affairs?
"It is also a stark turn for Mr. Giuliani, who now finds himself under scrutiny from the same United States attorney’s office he led in the 1980s, when he first rose to prominence as a tough-on-crime prosecutor..." A lot of money has turned Giuliani from anti-crime into a criminal with many lame excuses. To work for this mafia-president, you have to be 'personally loyal' to him, usually meaning you have to be a criminal.
Giuliani; "...I was representing the president of the United States,”.
But Trump is "uncertain when asked whether Mr. Giuliani still represented him".
This is the beginning of Trump dumping Giuliani under the bus like so many others. Soon Donnie will say he was 'just a bit player, I barely knew the guy, didn't know what he was up to, haven't talked with him in years...'. When Giuliani is charged and testifies that Trump directed the whole thing, we can expect the same trash-tweeting as he did to Sessions, Cohen and so many more.
Sunlight IS the best disinfectant, especially for moral vampires. Also, has anyone seen HIM outside in Sunlight, lately ???
Just saying.
The irony of Trump's lawyers seemingly always ending up in jail, while their client walks.
Thank god that good people will not be swayed by money to support a corrupt position. I don't wish you the best Giuliani, I hope you get what you deserve, and to think you once were on the side of right.
Giuliani has Russian smell all over him. He stinks of it just like Trump. Putin's damage to the U.S. is severe.
Why is it that a president is not allowed to be prosecuted based on a bureaucratic policy memo? Why hasn't anyone challenged this concept in court? Why is it the AG Barr is flying around the world to get negative information about the CIA and the FBI? Who's paying for his trips? Why isn't he in Washington doing his job? Why doesn't the media stream media report on how much money Republicans have been donated by Russian oligarchs? A final question: are all those people at Trump rallies paid to be there?
1
So ... here we have a US president whose prosecutors constantly see enough objective evidence to investigate his own personal lawyers and many of the people he hires (to then convict and jail them) ... whereas they do NOT see ANY evidence that objectively justifies an investigation into Joe or Hunter Biden, so ... he asks a foreign dictator to do that investigation instead.
WHAT a mess.
Everyone drawn into Trump’s inner orbit exposes their true natures as they seek to feed the black hole of Trump’s narcissism. Now law-and-order “America’s Mayor” Rudy Giuliani has shown the world his own dark side and the disgraceful lengths to which he—like the rest of the Republican Party—will go to please and placate Trump. It’s as though Trump has dirt on all of them he can use to control them—just like Vladimir Putin controls him.
Gee, another Trump associate committing illegal acts, and making a lot of money in the process - this is getting so repetitious it's almost boring. And why is a personal attorney of Trumps, hired to protect the Pres, conducting any sort of foreign affairs?
"It is also a stark turn for Mr. Giuliani, who now finds himself under scrutiny from the same United States attorney’s office he led in the 1980s, when he first rose to prominence as a tough-on-crime prosecutor..." A lot of money has turned Giuliani from anti-crime into a criminal with many lame excuses. To work for this mafia-president, you have to be 'personally loyal' to him, usually meaning you have to be a criminal.
Giuliani; "...I was representing the president of the United States,”.
But Trump is "uncertain when asked whether Mr. Giuliani still represented him".
This is the beginning of Trump dumping Giuliani under the bus like so many others. Soon Donnie will say he was 'just a bit player, I barely knew the guy, didn't know what he was up to, haven't talked with him in years...'. When Giuliani is charged and testifies that Trump directed the whole thing, we can expect the same trash-tweeting as he did to Sessions, Cohen and so many more.
You'd think that running what many are calling a "shadow foreign policy" for the personal political benefit of Donald Trump who has openly admitted that the goal was to get "dirt" on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, would be a crime. Rudy "The Mouth" may have been working for the President, but neither he nor Trump are, as the mantra goes, "above the law." Rudy was pressuring the Ukrainian government to provide damaging information [aka dirt] on the Bidens to help Trump in his e-election. Getting rid of Ambassador Yovanovitch was the proverbial "quid pro quo" for obtaining the cooperation of Ukraine's then Chief Prosecutor Yurij Lutsenko. Look for Rudy to be indicted on multiple counts (campaign violation, extortion) very soon.
3
“The investigation into Mr. Giuliani is the latest to scrutinize one of Mr. Trump’s lawyers. His former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, implicated the president when he pleaded guilty last year to making hush payments.”
I wonder if Trump’s present lawyer and fixer Giuliani will also end up pleading guilty to hush & covert foreign influence on the U.S. government by firing Ambassador Yovanovitch.
1
To the end of our national nightmare.
Trump said he was going to drain the swamp, but he's swamped the drain.
3
Mr Giuliani rejects the accusation of wrongdoing, but admits that he worked with two foreign nationals to collect information harmful to Joe Biden's campaign and to Ms Yovanovitch's position. I'm not sure if Rudy is aware of what "wrongdoing" means.
2
Giuliani is a spin doctor, so like his boss he will explain everything in a way that makes it look like this is a political witch hunt and that he didn't do anything wrong.
1
Giuliani may realize he is not above the law like Trump believes he is. He will also learn that Trump will throw him under the bus so fast he wont know what hit him. Giuliani has to be investigated. He has to be held accountable for everything he has said and done.
2
Americans fall in love with charlatans, Elmer Gantry snake oil salesmen, and entertainers. It's always been our achilles heel. we're not very bright compared to other 1st world nations and most days seem proud of it.
1
Every single step of Trump’s ascent has been unabashedly assisted by criminal behavior. And every time the noose tightens, Trump slips away claiming he doesn’t know what his capos are doing or that he doesn’t know them. He’s either extraordinarily naive and lucky that these folks are doing his bidding or he’s criminally complicit. Either way he has no business being President.
1
How ironic that the man who once touted his “tough on crime” agenda and glorified in making others’ do the perp walk may now be doing it himself. Such poetic justice.
2
Kerick, Giuliani, “birds of a feather...”
“America’s mayor” and “fire chief,” really just cut from the same dirty cloth.
Someone stop and frisk these clowns and arrest them with minority cops who they’d do everything to avoid hiring.
2
All the President's Felons. Sequel to All the President's Men.
2020 can't get here soon enough.
1
Mr Parnas and Mr Fruman are the Watergate plumbers and they led prosecutors to Giuliani, who leads to Trump. Of course they all are about to find out how loyal Trump is.
4
Most of us from New Jersey and New York from the days when Trump would come Howard Stern and was running casinos, knew he was a toxic buffoon. How did Rudy miss that?
Anyone who involves themselves in money laundering tax evasion and so on has many people on the take. There is a history of Trump's association with mobsters oligarchs and some nefarious dealings with foreign. entities. Trumps association with Rudy may go back years. Is it not plauseable that Rudy is just a useful pawn in Trump's maze of corruption. Rudy may have simply been outplayed and now it's time to cut him loose. It will be notable to see how Trump plays this. He is as slick as oil.
1
How much longer will it take for the average Republican voters to realize that their elected representatives are harmful to them and even more damaging to our entire nation? How long?
2
Giuliani has no official position in Trump’s administration other than his private lawyer. Yet he embarks on a shuttle diplomacy overseas, presenting himself as a government official, and demanding assistance from the State Department’s representatives abroad.
Giuliani is not charging Trump for his services, becauses he wants to shortchange his estranged wife.
Apparently he and his law firm are known to have – including foreign – clients, who pay for whatever services they think Giuliani can provide for them.
Congress has the right to know who is subsidising all his work for Trump and trips overseas. Perhaps he thought he was smart - he is not a federal employee, he could dodge scrutiny and indulge in clandestine activities on Trump's behalf, in the name of the US government.
2
Giuliani has no official position in Trump’s administration other than his private lawyer. Yet he embarks on a shuttle diplomacy overseas, presenting himself as a government official, and demanding assistance from the State Department’s representatives abroad.
Giuliani is not charging Trump for his services, becauses he wants to shortchange his estranged wife.
Apparently he and his law firm are known to have – including foreign – clients, who pay for whatever services they think Giuliani can provide for them.
Congress has the right to know who is subsidising all his work for Trump and trips overseas. Perhaps he thought he was smart - he is not a federal employee, he could dodge scrutiny and indulge in clandestine activities on Trump's behalf, in the name of the US government.
Will Fox continue to have him on air? I can imagine a conversation where Trump tells Murdoch not to let him on anymore.
1
At long last, I have finally learned to understand what Mr. Giuliani is saying by ignoring his spoken words. Now his comments sound like what they are.. random noise fraught with desperate purpose but devoid of any real meaning. Now, if I can learn to tune out Mr. Trump the same way, life will seem much brighter.
8
Think big picture here. The Ukraine is a country we are hoping to build stronger ties with and to root out corruption. Instead, we involved them in more corruption.
Another big win for Putin and serious damage to The US's reputation in the global view.
10
In the end, Trump will do what he has always done. Like in his multiple bankruptcies and business deals, he will make a deal to save himself while his associates /accomplices pay the price.
3
Trump has already prepped Rudy for an under-the-bus experience. It will be interesting to see if Rudy reciprocates.
6
"The investigators are examining Mr. Giuliani’s efforts to undermine the American ambassador to Ukraine, Marie L. Yovanovitch..." Giuliani is a private citizen. He is not a member of the Administration. He has not been vetted by Congress. He has not undergone any background checks. He has not received security clearance. So for him, at the behest of Trump, to act as a de facto member of the State Department is not only wrong, it should be considered illegal. And he should be prosecuted on those grounds alone. And this should be added to the long list of offenses for which Trump needs to be impeached.
10
Lots of history regarding Trump and his nefarious fi- it lawyers. Seems Rudy was an easy fit into the sleazy bulldog role.
As for Ambassador Yovanovitch, Trump could have just replaced her as just one of many impulsive whims that have become part of his voluminous, bizarre presidential legacy.
The effort to taint Biden vis a vis his son’s Ukraine connections was another matter, but that too was a much favored part of the Trump MO, a habitual first recourse.
Giuliani’s transition from star prosecutor and accolade as America’s Mayor after 911 to Trump accomplice is rank testimonial to the corrosive effect of unchecked power and easy money.
1
I am rooting for New York to get them all!
6
Please, system: start to work. We're all holding our breath in anticipation.
3
Let’s hope that the swamp is drained properly and all the corrupt, the crooks and traitors in the White House are put into prison for a long time. In addition, those with professional legal standing should be struck off to ensure that they don’t practice ever again.
14
Is there anything or anybody in Trump's orbit that doesn't stink? Everything that Trump touches becomes a complete, corrupt, mess.
21
Looks like Giuliani is going to be the fall guy. Want to bet that Trump comes out unscathed by all this? While Trump is certainly involved, I can’t imagine he’s smart enough to be the mastermind behind all this. That said, I hope more digging is done to uncover the truth.
68
@Nyma
Perhaps Trump has used the same script too often. Sure his base loves the re-runs, but hopefully the independents are tired of the same show and decide to change the venue.
20
@Nyma
Trump totally aims to make Giuliani the fall guy. However, it appears Giuliani's investigation originated in the Southern District of New York. The same federal court district where investigators have been plaguing Trump for years. The same federal court district where Giuliani used to preside. That's the joke here. New York's Mayor and the New York President are most likely coming down in a New York court.
11
@Nyma, of course Guiliani is going to the fall guy, but while falling he's going to hold Pompeo by the ankles and take him down with him. Trump's mindset is, if he goes, everybody has to go with him. He's starting with all those who surname begins with the letter P: Pence, Perry, Pompeo. The rest of the cabinet, such as it is, to follow.
4
If Rudy Giuliani relayed the requests of the owners of foreign businesses for assistance to U.S. cabinet members or their staffs or to the heads of U.S. agencies with regulatory interest in the activities of the foreign businesses or to the agency staffs or if Giuliani was paid to promote the foreign businesses through print, broadcasting or internet journalists, that seems to be the functional equivalent of lobbying.
Since Giuliani either gives evasive answers about the foreign businesses or asserts that asking foreign political leaders for help in discrediting Donald Trump’s political opponents is perfectly legal, the failure to register as a lobbyist for foreign interests needs to be investigated and should not be dropped, just because Giuliani say so.
88
Imagine how deep Giuliani is in this if Barr had no choice but to green light arresting Giuliani's operatives. Giuliani threw Trump under the bus today by asserting that he doesn't work for Ukraine, he works for Trump. In that one statement Giuliani has gone from Trump's staunchest defender to his worst nightmare, next to Marie Yovanovitch who Giuliani tried to savage. Such sweet irony. And never before have we witnessed a president's personal attorney bring more suspicion to his client by the day with his absurd contradictions and wild accusations. Not surprising considering his client is the king of absurd contradictions and wild accusations.
135
@nzierler Actually, it was Geoffrey Steven Berman who signed the indictment. Not sure if Barr even cares, except possibly to shock Giuliani into temporary silence. Yes, this looks bad for Giuliani, and Trump will likely throw Rudy under-the-bus. This may go nowhere, and may in fact be a good thing for Trump. You see, Berman is a Trump loyalist and methinks that getting to these two men may be somehow related to Biden. It may turn out that these men are willing to implicate Biden regardless of facts. Rudy's narrative may morph and his buddies may take a short prison sentence to appease all. It's the mobsters' way.
9
@nzierler
I first suspected AG Barr's hand in the arrests too. Now I'm not so sure. Apparently the investigations are from SDNY. Barr's hands were probably tied. He has to await the appeals process to reshape the accusations, procedures, and evidence. It appears New York is sticking it to Barr again. This time through Giuliani.
7
@nzierler
I believe you meant "never before have we witnessed TWO of the president's personal attorneys bring more suspicion to his client by the day". Let's not forget from only a year ago, Michael Cohen and Individual number 1. And hey I guess its three-count'em-three attorneys if you count Barr... and who wouldn't
Sad that America, despite the Cohen indictment and conviction, the Mueller report, the Ukraine call summary, the Prez's copious self-indictments on the White House lawn and now the Giuliani stink, still can't decidedly determine that the Grifter In Chief's only motives are corrupt motives.
8
I'd like to speculate, so please understand, I'm not claiming knowledge of this other than the history behind it.
Why would Barr meet with Murdoch? What would Barr have that Murdoch might want? Drop those looming FCPA charges?
Prince Harry has raised the scary prospect Murdoch's corporation might again be facing FCPA violations for voicemail hacking which first time around was looking like a $2 billion dollar fine.
Somehow, even during the Obama administration, the Justice Department let that pack of cash go with Murdoch's promise it would never happen again. This after claiming they'd only had one hack at it while 4000 people's voicemails laid in a sack under the Met's backend protecting Murdoch from prosecution for six years.
That is some rich fodder for extortion! Way to corrupt a government from the west to the east end, Rupert!
Will Prince Harry prevail and send Rupert's corporation the invitation to leave the country? How can FOX Broadcast with such a dastardly crew at the helm?
12
Pretty obvious that Trump used Giuliani to run a shadow/shady international agenda outside the restrictions and expertise of the state department, Congress, and diplomatic corps.
Trump is a clear threat to national security.
23
Why can't he be held liable under the Hatch Act? He didn't belong to any of the branches of the government and was working for the govt and with no security clearance.
16
Because we...didn’t...vote. And then, we back-bit ourselves a lot.
@RS I think you may be referring to the Logan Act?
Wonder what exquisite contortions Attorney General Barr is engaged in regarding this matter. It is now public knowledge that Mr. Barr and his assistant Mr. Durham were flying around the world trying not only to discredit the Mueller, but also trying to dig up dirt on Trump’s political opponents. And now Rudy Giuliani is under investigation for doing the same thing. And it’s Barr’s own attorneys at SDNY who are not only investigating Giuliani but who also filed criminal charges against his cohorts. Barr is fatally compromised in this matter and should resigned. He won’t, of course, which will necessitate his impeachment by the House, along with Mike Pompeo and their boss, none other the Master of the Revels and the Lord of Misrule himself, Donald J. Trump. It’s boom times for attorneys; for the rest of us not so much.
10
Lock him up so Trump will have someone of the same character to commiserate with when Trump is finally convicted of multiple criminal activities committed while in the presidency and before his selection by the "Electoral College".
6
@RLW Trump is not going to be locked-up. Fact, U.S. Presidents don't get punished, ever! Giuliani's not going to locked-up either. The greater threat to America is the vast number of Trumpletons that support Trump no matter. Another Trump will come along soon, and the next version will be far worse. Trump and his swamp have laid a very strong foundation and have actually expanded their base.
1
Rudy says that he did it for Trump. That makes Rudy a co-conspirator with Trump's campaign felony quid pro quo scheme. If he worked for an Ukraine operative or person he would have his own felony charge to contend with. Either way, it seems that he is 95% on his way to an indictment.
10
Don't start believing this represents trouble for "I have pictures with everybody" Trump. He has (unwilling) fall guys for everything. Always did and always will.
3
What does trump promise Rudy in order for Rudy to do his bidding? Rudy is “providing services” pro-bono, to a man who claims to be a billionaire. Rudy knows trump is corrupt, so exactly what could trump possibly either hold over his head or have promised him to have him do this work for him? It’s mind-boggling for me to think Rudy has chosen this path.
5
@LI Res
Rudy may be working pro bono to lessen his income during his divorce.
1
Rudy has been running around outside the boundaries of legality and normalcy for some time now. As mayor his actions were often straddling the line of legal that they moved the needle on the illegality meter. But he had the sense and smart enough support staff to back away. Since being out of that job and making it clear that while he might be America's Mayor (wake up folks!) he was not ever gonna be President, because he's a bad man at heart - and it shows whenever he opens his mouth. Much like his boss, but he has that slick coating that Rudy lacks.
Rudy is a private citizen, like a few others that have yet to be dragged into the light, or like the Trump kids who are in plain sight, running around trying to force Trumps agenda on them. Be they in Ukraine, or elsewhere.
Rudy is prime example of the once notable legal professional (cop, judge, lawyer, Fed, etc) who once turned loose in the private sector and see's all the stuff (illegal, unethical or both) that is lying around and can be taken with impunity - cant see his own behaviors as criminal,because he's so wrapped up in his own mostly self-written honorable mythology.
He's going down, and its going to be fun and satisfying to watch. He deserves it, because he's earned it. On purpose.
11
People like Ambassadors Yovanovitch and Taylor are the real American heroes on the front lines of securing America through effective diplomatic engagement. They are also incorruptible with long track records of encouraging other countries to fight the cancer of corruption that is so often lethal to emerging democracies.
Giuliani and his cronies, on the other hand, are the types of vultures who exploit and encourage corruption in order to further their own financial and political interests. In doing so, they undermine American security both by destroying America's reputation as a champion of rule of law and by supporting the types of corrupt autocrats who are the natural allies of Russia and enemies of democratic government.
12
The Rotisserie of Justice turns slowly and Trump May be waking up to the fact that he is on it.
11
It’s the beginning of the end for Trump.
When he’s finally ousted, we should remember that he couldn’t have committed those high crimes and misdemeanors without accomplices and enablers: Giuliani, Barr, Pompeo, Pence, congressional Republicans,
The GOP will soon turn on Trump in an effort to salvage itself but the public should never forget and our institutions should hold them accountable.
Lock them up!
13
@Ronin
Well, the GOP senate will still not convict.
If the FBI had anything of substance on Giuliani, I think he would have been arrested by now. And once the investigated know they’re being investigated, they can now begin covering their tracks. Unless the two Ukrainians decide to flip, which I find that highly unlikely considering they serve Putin, expect Rudy to skate away.
1
It seems that the adage "Follow the money" is still true.
Dismaying that so many seem to sell their moral compass when money & power is offered.
4
I heard team trump wants rudy to be quiet. Au contraire, rudy needs to keep talking as much, as loud and as often as possible.
6
Once again all the Democrats are convicting Trump and anyone associated with home before you have heard all the facts. Can’t you see by now that the Trump haters are fabulous at leveraging charges whether or not there is any real proof beyond the accusation of wrong doing.
2
It’s pretty rich for Trumpists tocomplain about making charges for which there is no proof.
2
@mickey
Trump may be your dream..
He is others' nightmare..
His license to practice law in New York should be reviewed also.
4
..@Alan... if convicted of a felony he would lose it automatically..
It's time for the Democrats to respond to Trump with one voice. Let Warren, who is likely to be the nominee, correct the WH Occupant's lies. Let her counter his slanderous statements about Biden and others. Loudly and clearly, let her set truth against lies. We can't wait until there is a nominee to start countering Occupant's verbal bullying. By that time he'll have made inroads into the mindsets of too many Americans. Let us hear you, Liz!
5
@farhorizons
Way too early to say that Liz is likely nominee.
What other presidents have had “personal lawyers” flying around the world conducting US foreign relations. Isn’t this the job of the Secretary of State?
7
Keep your fingers crossed that he gets indicted. He should also be banned from television. The Cuomo interview showed him to be the latest Trump fixer.
3
Richard M. Nixon would be laughing at these antics of the Trump horror story and he would possibly tell us that he wasn't so bad after all.
Each day brings us on more horror story, fitting for the month of October, concerning the carnival barker from Queens, or one of his mindless minions.
Rudy jetting off on world wide excursion (who is paying?) to influence other countries to find dirt on an opponent to Barr groveling in front of Murdoch because Trump feels Fox "News" is not behind him.
America's "mayor"? Not hardly, but, Rudy is now at the same level in society as those organized crime bosses he bragged about imprisoning. Perhaps he may join a few and share stories.
4
Contrary to what the article says, there is no U.S. law against foreigners or foreign governments attempting to overtly or covertly influence U.S. elections. All nations that perceive they are affected by U.S. foreign policy—which to say most nations—attempt to influence U.S. elections. They are prohibited from making donations to U.S. political campaigns or placing paid political advertising that supports or disparages a specific candidate.
The Foreign Agent Registration Act prohibits Americans from working as an an agent of a foreign principal without registering with the attorney general. But what foreign principal does Giuliani allegedly work for?
Giuliani is President Trump’s personal lawyer. Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman are Americans, not foreigners. The allegation that Giuliani works for Ukraine prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko is absurd. Besides, Lutsenko has made his accusation against U.S. ambassador Marie Yovanovitch during interviews on public television. He said, “Unfortunately, from the first meeting with the U.S. ambassador in Kiev, [Yovanovitch] gave me a list of people whom we should not prosecute.” That’s not covert.
2
@William Case
Come'on. The "US" nationals, not born citizens, appear to have NOTHING to do in the US but work outside the US. I think their citizenship are frauds.
If the underlying action, of obtaining US Citizenship, was a fraud, then they were violating US election campaign laws, by not only promoting their specific interests to the election "connected" individuals, the whole slew of Russian contaminated Citizens -Flynn, Manafort, Cohen, and team Trump of the Trump Tower meeting, but through wads and oodles of cash, campaign funds.
"Mr. Giuliani said that because Democrats had questioned his business consulting for foreign clients, his contracts explicitly say he does not lobby or act as an agent of foreigners."
and
"Mr. Lutsenko initially asked Mr. Giuliani to represent him, according to the former mayor, who said he declined because it would have posed a conflict with his work for the president. Instead, Mr. Giuliani said, he interviewed Mr. Lutsenko for hours, then had one of his employees — a “professional investigator who works for my company” — write memos detailing the Ukrainian prosecutors’ claims about Ms. Yovanovitch, Mr. Biden and others. "
From my legal lens, Mr. Giuliani acted as an attorney when meeting with Mr. Lutsenko, no matter his assertion that he was NOT representing him, as an attorney.
The fact that he "released" these "memos" (to Pompeo, who then later released them to the FBI), he CLAIMS are the notes he took when meeting with Mr. Lutsenko, does NOT MEAN that they ARE the notes or relate directly to any direct or indirect commununications Mr. Giuliani had with Lutsenko.
Ask any active US attorney - Giuliani was acting as an attorney for Lutsenko.
Giuliani cannot parse or dice how an attorney represents a client, for a fee or not. And his contracts? All contracts between client and attorney are confidential. I don't understand the Times statement about his contracts, - are these Giuliani's claim or does the Nytimes have specific knowledge about these contracts?
1
Trump is setting up Giuliani as a fall guy and as a way of diverting attention from Trump himself. Trump is following the same playbook he did with Michael Cohen. Unless Giuliani turns on Trump immediately, Giuliani will share the same fate. Trump will not pardon Giuliani and Republicans will stick with Trump rather than Giuliani because they are more afraid of Trump. Trump has already begun to show disloyalty to Giuliani. Trump is more cunning than Cohen and can be more dangerous to Trump.
2
No sympathy for him - and no surprise there - but this is racketeering 101 - hire people who either start with very few scruples or who discard any they have as they make some very serious coin. First Michael C., now Rudy G.
Unless they "flip" - and even THEN ... if they are POTUS and have an in-their-pocket Supreme Court and Senate - even if EVERYBODY KNOW that the old "fish rots from the head down," you just have to hope that people with some combination of sanity and morality choose to vote for the best alternative on offer come Nov. 2020.
It will help enormously if the choice is NOT Joe Biden or someone with ethical issues - however minor, even made up - that distract from the utter rot of the current Administration!
2
Some people in the State Department seem to have decided that it is better to do something than to let Russia and their American partners in the GOP destroy our democracy. Wouldn't it be wonderful if some of their brothers and sisters at DOJ join them? Maybe they are.
4
“Mr. Giuliani has denied wrongdoing, but he acknowledged that he and the associates worked with Ukrainian prosecutors to collect potentially damaging information about Ms. Yovanovitch and other targets of Mr. Trump and his allies, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his younger son, Hunter Biden.”
So in other words, Rudy denies wrongdoing just before he admits to wrongdoing. These guys are amazing.
7
Whether Giuliani was acting as a lobbyist, a personal lawyer, or on authority from the Administration should be revealed by his expense reports for the trips he took to Ukraine and elsewhere. Who paid for his travel and expenses?
3
Well I guess now we know why Giuliani was headed to Vienna too. Someone must have tipped off Mr Giuliani and the other two gentleman that they were about to be targets of this investigation. Unfortunately for all of them, the heads up didn't come fast enough.
3
Simply because you represent Trump does not mean that you are not covertly representing the interests of a foreign government. It might actually be evidence of that fact.
2
Does Giuliani hold a United Stated diplomatic passport? He was not working for the U.S. government. He was working on behalf of the president which is not the same as working for the nation. He's directly involved with the two men who had a one-way ticket who were charged a few days ago. His intervention led to the removal of the American ambassador to Ukraine. With all his fame and money I can't see why he felt the need to get on board Trump's train. By now the only people left who don't realize Trump is corrupt and a liar are the hypnotized people who sit behind him at his ubiquitous rallies.
3
Honestly what’s the point? He’s just going to be pardoned anyway.
@Matt: Timing is everything. A pardon cannot issue until the individual is convicted. Take a look at the list of people Trump has already pardoned to confirm.
2
@Matt
The point is to defend the Rule of Law, even if you know you will lose.
1
He has to be charged with a crime to be pardoned. A pardon would be an admission of guilt. That would get him disbarred.
I am delighted to see Rudy Giuliani investigated because I know they will find mountains of material on which to prosecute the prosecutor. He is a racist xenophobe who, for four anomolous months after 9/11, actually rose to the responsibilities of his position and suddenly became the mayor of all New Yorkers, not just its white working class. New Yorkers never called him America's mayor, but when someone did, he rode it like a polo pony until it became an irrelevant cliche. I think he will be better remembered, and much more appropriately, as the Trump stooge who said "truth isn't truth." And that's the truth.
4
Every day in Trump’s America there is drama with these men. And they say women are too emotional to lead.
4
Throwing Rudy under the bus to save the president … didn't see that coming. Regardless, it won't work and it will be nice to see them both go down.
3
So, remember back on Oct 2, when the Inspector General for the Department of State, Steven Linick, handed over to Congress the folder with records of contacts between Giuliani and Ukrainian prosecutors? And everyone thought it was a bad joke? Hope they still have that folder.
2
As I recall, Kushner currently heads the prison reform initiative.
Perhaps he can add to his program plans to build Trump Towers or Kushner Wings now so that Giuliani and others might have available to them accommodations live up to the reputation of the Trump logo.
Kushner needs to start this initiative right away, because more and more whistle blowers are coming out every day.
17
Pretty clear that Rudy has been operating as a conduit for foreign interests directly into the heart of American government.
Whether that was part of "discrediting the origins of the special prosecutor's investigation" or not wouldn't seem to make much difference. If you're pursuing illegal acts in the course of a disreputable (if not outright illegal) act, you're still liable.
21
Well, at least one part of Giuliani's statement is accurate. You can contort anything into anything. Giuliani does so on a daily basis. Taking information from a foreign national and giving that information to government officials with the intent to influence a particular outcome is lobbying. That's the definition of lobbying. What Giuliani's contract says doesn't matter. He seems to have violated his own contract.
Giuliani's relationship with Trump doesn't matter either. If the President of the United States wants an ambassador fired, the President can talk to the Secretary of State and ask for a resignation. He doesn't need a two-bit personal lawyer slinking around Ukraine on his behalf.
As a matter of fact, I don't think Lutsenko needed a two-bit personal lawyer either. Technically speaking, Ukraine simply needed to ask the US to withdraw the ambassador. Under Article 9 of the Vienna Treaty, the US would then be legally obliged to remove the offending individual from Ukraine.
Apparently, someone in the Ukrainian government more powerful than Lutsenko thought removing Yovanovitch was a bad idea. Lutsenko therefore unsuccessfully attempted to lobby the United States directly until he found a willing accomplice in Giuliani. All to stop investigations on Lutsenko's business interests.
And Trump was concerned about "corruption." Give me a break. He's neck deep in it. If he were any deeper, he'd need a snorkel just breath.
13
We need to deal with the root cause of the problem: end electoral college system, stop gerrymandering, and add term limit in congress. Corrupt politicians will always exist; we need a democratic process that empowers voters to remove these politicians out of the system.
16
@Ana
Ana - I don't think so. I think we have a very new environment where we, the US, are surrounded by hostile forces - hostile governments, rogue individuals, who just want to vandalize, upset, destroy, harm, and make injured our democratic processes. It's not just the Russians. We have a plethora of adversaries who are single individuals working for no one but themselves - if that can be stated that way, who for reasons we cannot fathom want to and will attack our election processes WHATEVER they might be.
Once again, fundamental statement. Giuliani is not a government official. He has no legitimacy to be involved in these affairs.
19
It's about time. Mr. Giuliani seems to have been meddling in America's foreign affairs without registering as a lobbyist, while "serving" as the president's counsel. How can that be legal?
16
This house of cards is beginning to wobble.
it's end is inevitable.
7
I think I'm falling in love with the "deep state". Thank you democracy and public servants. Thank you, God bless and good luck.
14
Rudy Giuliani says that he “was representing the president of the United States,” when he collected dirt on ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Did President Trump, in his capacity as president, authorize this private citizen to do this dirty work, whose ultimate goal is to improve his election prospects? If so, he has abused his authority and strengthens further the case for impeachment against him.
Yovanovitch's testimony to the House committee confirms that she was fired from her job because she was critical of the dirty work Giuliani and his Ukrainian partners in crime were doing in behalf of Trump. Does Secretary of State Mike Pompeo justify her firing? According to the State Department, she had “done nothing wrong.”
Giuliani himself has said that a “professional investigator who works for my company” wrote memos detailing the Ukrainian prosecutors’ claims about Yovanovitch, the Bidens and others. Isn’t it tantamount to violation of lobbying disclosure law?
He also says that the work he did was on behalf of the U.S. government. How does the work as a private attorney of an individual become work for the government? Or if he has anything in writing that says that he worked for the government, let him show it.
Giuliani may want to think of the fate that befell Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen. For doing the dirty work for Trump and then lying about it to the grand jury, he is now serving a three-year jail term.
10
Well, we KNOW at this point that he broke laws. The real questions are 1) How many did he break? 2) Will Congress have the guts to actually prosecute him even though they know he is a criminal? 3) When they find out that Trump is also complicit (if they don't already know), will they add that to impeachment charges?
5
Since it was decided and not written into the constitution (a very poor decision), that a sitting president can not be indicted while he/she is in office, if Trump is found guilty of wrongdoing, he should be removed from office and not just impeached.
Secondly, It will be very interesting to find out who "the congressman" who is implicated in this investigation is. The plot thickens.
4
"his contracts explicitly say he does not lobby or act as an agent of foreigners."
There you have it. It's in his contract so therefore he must be innocent. Nobody ever violates a contract.....
Simple answer, we are either a country who values law and applies it equally or we're a trump-country that doesn't.
1
The fog of distortion and misdirection is R Guiliani's stock and trade. Simply put in all likelihood R Guiliani's standard contract excluded lobbying for foreign entities. The subject of the current seeks an answer to a different question "Did R Guilani violate election law by lobbying for foreign entities?"
21
I think anybody with integrity has either quit, is quitting or is planning to quit.
41
That didn't take long. Mr. Giuliani is now under the bus and Trump is getting in the driver's seat and about to back up right over him.
It begins with the Trump "I haven't spoken to Rudi" which was swiftly followed by "he HAS been my attorney".
Giuliani will now find himself a possible Michael Cohen 2.0 going to jail for The Boss. His too casual and ethically challenged blurring of the private client Trump with POTUS Trump has come to light and while the corruption seems obvious we can look forward to a robust circus defense to be waged by Giuliani.
The question for today is - Does Rudi know that he is now dead to Trump?
44
This has also been the “trump way” regarding the two Ukrainians Rudy worked with that were recently arrested. Trump stated he didn’t know either of them. Never met them. Then of course, photos start appearing showing trump with one or both of them. Also involved with the two men, is Don, Jr., shown in photos having dinner with both! That’s pretty much a sure sign trump will dump Rudy.
3
@Elizabeth
The road from close advisor to coffee boy is extremely short in this administration.
But it's not like Rudy didn't know that going in.
With our much more efficient, lean, smaller, less costly Republican government, courtesy of His Majesty President Trump, it’s reassuring to know things can get done by simply employing private outside contract help like Mr. Giuliani, ops free from government rules and red tape. A huge victory for efficiency over the same old fraud and waste we’ve been suffering from since the GOP invented those twin scourges years ago. Three cheers for America’s Mayor. Can he fix a parking ticket?
15
It would be interesting to know which portions of The Mueller Report may now be un-redacted. The good people of SDNY have a lot of “ongoing investigations” to handle. Perhaps Mr. Mueller will be proven correct that his report will speak for itself.
19
What does not get enough coverage in all of this is that both the President and Mr Giuliani are pursuing the foreign policy objectives of Vladimir Putin including their activity in Ukraine and the abandonment of the Kurds to their Turkish enemies.
49
Giuliani's defense is that he lobbied to have the ambassador removed at Trump's request...putting Trump squarely in the middle of this mess. Only the best lawyers.
32
I don't think Giuliana will survive this without jail time, but I'm not sure about flailing Trump, denier in chief, with his nightly televised circus rallies of blame, hatred, and bragging divorced from facts. All his energy is all about him and his theatrical production. I think both he and the American people have been incredibly lucky not to have had any horror like 9/11, a war, or a depression to address. He hasn't done well dealing with natural disasters, but he's improved in at least offering sympathy instead of going off golfing. But aside from giving away the taxes the poor and middle class pay for services they don't get to the wealthy, what has he accomplished? He may lie, deflect, and threaten his way out of any blame and manage to get elected again. This would be a tragedy for the nation.
15
While no one can predict future elections this much is certain: Democrats have opened Pandora's Box and it won't be closed anytime in the near future. Should a Dem be elected as President, I can't even imagine the retribution he/she will face from even before inauguration.
A Dem President is going to have his/her agenda completely thwarted as everyone that they (including family) have ever known or is even near their administration will be investigated, accused, and declared guilty before any evidence other than speculation and innuendo has been presented.
What goes around, comes around..... and this is especially so in politics.
2
@Rocky
Perhaps, but unlike the current situation, the Republicans will have to fabricate crimes by the Dems. I hope you aren’t suggesting that Trump’s abuses of power should be ignored simply to avoid potential fabricated accusations.
2
@Rocky
So you're saying we shouldn't investigate the crimes of this administration for fear of harassment down the road?
Sorry - some of us still have the courage to stand up for our country. People like Marie Yovanovitch. We'd rather go down standing up than under the boot of a dictator.
2
I keep reading that Trump has multiple personal lawyers. I can’t believe that any other president has had a team of his own lawyers. Of course no other president has had the need to lawyer-up like Trump!
22
@Bob Hawthorne: The US court system is maze where justice can be delayed until it is moot.
1
@Bob Hawthorne
Who is paying to defend the multiple obstructions, appeal procedures and legal meetings? The taxpayer of course. That leaves Donald out of that part of the equation comprehensively. The taxpayer is the American public who voted the Dems in during the 2028 midterms by a record margin of 9 million votes. So the Congress, representing the people are stone-walled; the same taxpaying public (without the assistance of the successful business family, the Trumps) then has to pay to fund the opposition to providing the information they are paying to have collected. As Donald habitually blurts out with blustering pomposity, "its all a scam". He mentions scams a lot. He is an expert. His scammed supporters resemble horses who voluntarily demanded blinkers.
So the public gets hoodwinked; has to pay to have the scam exposed and then has to fund the expensive obstructions to them getting the information. It is clear that Trump's supporters are incapable of accepting the results of the 2018 mid terms elections. BTW where is the 10% tax cut promised to the middle class and the assurance that preexisting medical conditions would be covered?
2
@Bob Hawthorne And, I'm sure we are all paying for them!
Dear Intrepid Reporters, Please look more closely into what drove Trump's decision to sacrifice several million Kurds and give ISIS new strength after one phone call with the Turkish dictator Erdogan. It sure looks like Erdogan had some goods on Trump from previous calls, saw the Ukraine call scandal, and called up and said give me the kurds or you are done. Maybe it's something else, but we need to know why Trump is endangering both the lives of our allies and of U.S. citizens who are the targets of ISIS. And the public needs to see photos and video daily of those poor kurdish families fleeing for their lives after fighting for ours.
33
I fail to understand why Giuliani is being " investigated ". The man himself has acknowledged everything that he is accused of. Just his presence in the Oval Office trying to influence the President for his nefarious lobbying is a crime by itself. He maybe the President's lawyer but he is a nobody to conduct affairs of State. He should be served a subpoena through a sergeant-at-arms. And if he refuses the summons be arrested like every citizen. Period.
21
How hard it is for deeply patriotic Americans to see how far the highly esteemed can fall. From the tough corruption NYC prosecutor to Mayor of the great city, to a hero of 911.
Though we have always know shameful flip-flopping to be bread into politics, excusing no political party, we now see what seems the result of some strange cognitive disorder affecting our Executive Branch. Between an exhausting web of deceit to abdication of sound reason. It is as if we are not even treated as a public with a 10-second attention span. One need only think of likely consequences of avoiding the obvious conclusions, even in this overly complex world.
Will we return to projecting a 'United' States? I cannot tell you, as so many find others unfit for peaceful life on earth.
4
@Sky Guy He was not a hero of 9/11. He happened to be mayor at the time it took place.
1
In the final analysis, history will record that the courage of a whistleblower and honest, patriotic career employees of the State Department, Justice Department, and Intelligence Agencies ultimately led to the Trump Impeachment. Barr could protect a Trump from Mueller, but not a determined whistleblower. I wonder if Senate Republicans will even consider doing the right thing. Will they consider George Will’s admonition to “be on the right side of history” when the vote? Probably not, I suspect. Cowards shrink from the truth, but thank goodness for the career employees who didn’t.
We ALL will be forever in their debt.
It’s not yet the end. It’s not even the beginning of the end. But, perhaps, it’s the end of the beginning.
No one, in the end, is above the law.
19
By this point in time, it should become obvious to any attorney that working on Trump's behalf requires committing criminal acts on behalf of Trump and acting as a shield to protect Trump from prosecution. Cohen is already in jail. Giuliani's trajectory seems to be heading there. Even AG Barr and his international "assignments" have potential to bring him down, too. How do these once respected people get caught up in this web of deceit?
15
@rlkinny
They are blinded by the light of being close to power and a man who cares nothing about what is right and good for ALL of America. The rest of the country is finally seeing Giuliani for what some already knew him to be.. A self involved, limelight seeking, money hungry man.
5
Nobody seems to think that the tactic of criminalizing political differences might someday be turned against them.
4
@Michael Livingston’s - No one is criminalizing political differences except Republicans.
I'm not sure how you missed it but Trump has surrounded himself with actual criminals. Your first clue should have been how many of them are ending up in jail.
2
@Michael Livingston’s
That might matter if that were happening.
1
Seems like pretty clear-cut corruption to me, regardless of legality, but I hope something sticks.
10
So the Ukrainian people elected a president to clean up their corruption. Obviously, it is time we did the same. If the next president and Congress do nothing else, they need to root out the people who use our government as an ATM to live the high life and have exploited weaknesses in our laws and justice system to protect themselves and their cronies. Then they need to shut down all the avenues of soft bribery and corrupt influence on our elected and appointed officials, from PACs and private foundations to lobbying and revolving doors to corporate boards and other enriching post-service "opportunities" that outside influencers dangle to get favorable legislation, lax oversight, and other favors. It's time to turn the money changers out of the temple of our democracy.
14
These congressional Republicans still defending Donald Trump remind me of those tobacco executives who testified before Congress claiming they did not know smoking cigarettes were additive. UNBELIEVABLE.
17
I think back to the McCarthy hearings - ‘At long last, have you left no sense of decency?’ Apparently not, then and now.
Joseph Welch’s clarion call brought sanity to the American witch-hunt political disaster. Who will bravely step into his shoes to protect our democracy now?
14
Why does Rudy still have a New York State license to practice law? If nothing else, his unethical actions warrant disbarment.
21
Next thing up: Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani will be arguing the Constitution is unconstitutional.
25
2020 election must turn on one point: elect a President who is committed to PUBLIC service not SELF service.
21
“Look, you can try to contort anything into anything, but if they have any degree of objectivity or fairness, it would be kind of ridiculous to say I was doing it on Lutsenko’s behalf when I was representing the president of the United States,” Mr. Giuliani said.
I must be slow. Is this not prima facia evidence in Mr. Trump's impechment actions regarding abuse of power?
16
Let’s face face it, anyone who manages to get their names competitively selected and declared POTUS in this country with its tortured and convoluted election laws and processes by definition has to be corrupt in order to pull it off. The machine always wins, just ask any horse. The actual candidates themselves are just eye candy and quirky props in a really big show put on by its corporate producers.
2
With that thinking, you’re assuming Bernie or any independent who was elected would be crooked, too. Is that what you meant?
Trump supporters who believe disinformation from the likes of Sean Hannity of Fox News are being bamboozled. For months they have been told that the whole “Russia hoax” was being unraveled and that indictments of FBI and even CIA agents who tried to implement a “coup” against Trump were surely imminent. Yet it is Trumps own associates who continue to be indicted and locked up, and Rudy himself could be next in line. Bill Barr told us that the the Obama administration “spied” on Trumps campaign when in actuality they were conducting a lawful counter intelligence investigation to determine if the multitude of contacts between Trumpsters and Russia threatened our nation’s security. It was certainly no witch hunt or hoax, Yet Trump, and Barr, is using the governments resources to try and disprove what we already know. Mueller, also pilloried by Trumps supporters, did not gather enough evidence to conclude Trumps campaign conspired with Russia, partly because they failed to fully cooperate with the investigation. But he did uncover evidence of criminality that led to prosecutions of several high ranking Trump associates and not Trump himself only because DOJ says a President can’t be indicted. Yet some, such as the likes of Senator Ron Johnson, believe that it is the FBI and CIA who can’t be trusted, who have committed crimes. The consummate liar Trump is at war with his own law enforcement agencies. Thank goodness he is losing.
14
@Mike Alexander
No one who has pleaded guilty entered a fake guilty plea; nor are they doing fake prison time. It is real!!
Between this outrage and the abandonment of the Kurds this country has lost its moral purpose.
23
We can all hope that the law prevails. Diamond-wearing Giuliani was once an effective prosecutor himself, but then he lost his bearing and became corrupted by Trump and his own greed. Now he is facing his successors who are determined to uphold the law.
6
As someone who lived in NYC while Giuliani was mayor I can say he was almost universally hated by the end of his second term. He showed up everywhere on 9/11 and non-NYers were so impressed. “America’s Mayor” was a sham.
Since today is the 21st anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death, let’s remember how Giuliani sent out a police force to arrest a spontaneous vigil the day Matthew died. They stared at the mourners and were instructed to remove and arrest anyone who walked off the sidewalk and into the edge of the street. This is who Giuliani is.
12
@Biffnyc exactly. He was a strange mayor. And missy people don't know about the Shephard instance. Remember when we weren't allowed to dance anywhere on NYC in the 90s? Except designated dance spots. Very puritanical.
3
His approval was low among some liberals in the city
I have a better understanding of why Trump went bankrupt and why banks wouldn't deal with him.
10
What happened to Giuliani? He’s gone from a crusading, crime-fighting SDNY prosecutor, to the tough-talking, decisive America’s Mayor, to this scandal’s version of G. Gordon Liddy. Was signing on with Donald Trump done to remain politically relevant, or out of a neediness for approval, the money, or just out of misguided loyalty? News flash, Rudy: Don’t look for that loyalty to be returned if you get into this mess any deeper. Trump will deny even knowing you.
Giuliani is just one more tragic figure here who has sold his soul (and maybe his life, if prison is in the offing) for a man who couldn’t care less. He would be wise now to cut a deal with Congress and the feds, tell what he knows, and try to redeem himself on some small level from this mess while there is still time and opportunity: Because when the Good Ship Trump finally sinks, there will be no survivors.
4
Looks like the Trump people have their fall guy. Mr. Giuliani will be unceremoniously thrown under the bus along with his two cohorts and blamed for the entire Ukranian debacle. Trump's base will enthusiastically buy into the entire scenario. Now they just need to find someone to take the blame for the whole Syria Turkey problem.
9
Part of Trump's M.O. has long been to have private citizens do deeds he knew he couldn't get federal employees to do. Which, for some of the deeds, sets the private citizen up for great legal risk, given the laws put in place exactly to prevent this type of extra-legal shenanigans. Let's see how that works out for Rudy. Probably about as well as for Manafort and all his fellow traitors sitting in prison.
10
“Look, you can try to contort anything into anything, but if they have any degree of objectivity or fairness, it would be kind of ridiculous to say I was doing it on Lutsenko’s behalf when I was representing the president of the United States,”
Rudy, the master of subjectivity and lop-sided meanness, wants to be treated with objectivity and fairness.
He'll get his wish, because that is the way our legal system operates.
A second point is that Rudy was not representing the president of the United States. He was representing candidate and con man Donald Trump.
7
Who is this "Congressman?"
According to the indictment, he is referred to as "Congressman 1" but his name is not included. I hope The New York Times is planning to reveal the name and provide us with some information. Please?
27
But the donations described in the indictment match campaign finance reports for former Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican who lost his re-election bid in November 2018.
Sessions, 64, has denied wrongdoing. But the federal indictment alleges “Congressman 1” was part of what prosecutors described as a coordinated effort to remove Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch at the behest of an unnamed Ukrainian official.
Sessions, who has been weighing a political comeback, now finds himself entangled in the impeachment investigation centered on President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine as well as Giuliani’s relationships in the former Soviet republic.
3
@Max Shapiro
That was a former Texas Rep who lost his seat in 2018 even with all that Russian money flwing to him and others, but thinks he's gonna get back in the water...Pete Sessions.
So, again, we have Russian money going into a Trump PAC to a Rep to get him to end the assignment of a US diplomat. Is this still too hard for Fox viewers to follow?
Get ready for DOZENS of US Congressmen and women to say they don't know HOW that Russian money got in their pockets.
I've been poking my Rep turned Senator since 2016 for an accounting...
3
@Max Shapiro From the NY Times: "The lawmaker is named in the indictment only as “Congressman-1,” but campaign finance filings identify him as former Representative Pete Sessions, Republican of Texas. Mr. Sessions, then the chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, wrote a letter in 2018 to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying that Ms. Yovanovitch should be fired for privately expressing “disdain” for the current administration."
1
So the new Trump campaign chant is “lock him up!”? That should apply well to whomever steps to the mic. (Shakes head)
56
Oh the irony, a headline about Giuliani that he worked so hard to get pin on Biden. And upper right above the fold. Is it wrong I'm smiling?
73
I'd be worried if I was Rudy.
61
@Tom Rich -- I think he's too far gone to worry.
From afar, to a complete outsider, why no mention of the 'elephant in the room', Manafort? Was it not several million in bribes and Ukraine election manipulation that he, Trumps pal from 2016, was convicted with. As each day turns this looks more surreal than a badly plotted movie!!
93
@Bob Lawrie
Just about anyone with even a smidgeon of the last century of history under their belt understood that Ukraine would forever continue to be the obsession of Russia even after the USSR spilt apart.
Russia/Putin really only have one economy: oil and gas. Russia wants access to that area, which is why it marched in and took Crimea Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 while the whole world - and the Obama administration - sat and watched.
Shame that the EU and the U.S. didn't have their act together to protect Ukraine after 1991. Many of those Ukrainians on the eastern border with Russian ancestry are pro-Ukraine and, clearly, willing to fight for democracy against still-soviet Russia/Putin.
3
@Bob Lawrie
It IS strange that his name hasn't been appearing in these reports. The problem with that movie version: no one can follow the plot.
1
@Bob Lawrie Good point Bob. Rudy had been visiting Manafort only days ago. Maybe they will be room mates soon.
I thought it was more than just a coincidence these Ukranian guys were caught trying to leave the country right after eating dinner with Guliani.
120
@Jennifer Yes. If they have any sense they're busy telling investigators everything from what Giuliani did for them to where their grandmothers hide their life savings. Meanwhile, Trump is distancing himself from his beloved attorney already. This administration really is becoming more and more like The Godfather Part IV.
1
@Jennifer It would be more incriminating if they had the dinners ordered "to go".
Serving as Donald Trump’s personal lawyer is great for an individual’s career prospects—provided the goal is making license plates. Michael Cohen can offer Giuliani some job counseling in that regard.
118
Rudy, as a lawyer you should know that just because your contracts explicitly say you don’t lobby or act as an agent of foreigners, that has no effect if you’re doing the thing you say you aren’t.
But that obfuscation also explains why Trump hired you.
86
He’s going to go through some things.
141
Let’s get this straight: it’s ok if he’s working to solicit foreign interference because his client is POTUS? Oops... sounds like he just confirmed another article of impeachment.
117
Rudy, there’s a bus leaving town. I suspect you’re going to be under it.
168
Along with Rick Perry...he’s kind of a quintessential fall guy.
1
Soon, when asked about Rudy Giuliani, Trump will deny knowing him.
120
@Demosthenes Trumped that yesterday, when asked if rudy was still his lawyer. Trump replied, "No, I haven't spoken to him . . ."
1
Biden is under investigation too. You might call Rudy's investigation obstruction. I guess it all depends on what tribe you believe in. Isn't our country great!
7
Actually neither Biden is under investigation. Facts, so often ignored these days, should have nothing to do with tribalism.
13
Biden is not under investigation. Hunter Biden was cleared of any wrongdoing since the gas company’s issues were prior to him being involved with them. Don’t bother with the”what abouts” any further. They’ve proven ridiculous.
2
Biden isn’t under any investigation. At least, not any legitimate one.
1
What a shock.
14
Giuliani has gone from a popular sweetheart Mayor to the most distrusted, disrespected or reviled man in town. How the mighty has fallen due to his own idiocy and arrogance.
56
@ExhaustedFightingForJusticeEveryDay
I think I can identify at least one man more distrusted, disrespected, reviled and worthy of contempt than Rudy and his arena is the entire country - save for those parts of the country where the IQ's and average winter temperature hover in the same neighborhood.
@ExhaustedFightingForJusticeEveryDay, sweetheart mayor? Don’t recall that. All I remember is him having an affair while married and so on..
Trump only hires the best.
56
That whole Giuliani security setup needs to be looked at, that boy could not set it up fast enough and grab federal contracts after 9/11.
43
If guilty. Lock him up.
24
Perhaps President Zelensky of Ukraine told Trump he will withhold praise of Trump unless America fixes it’s corruption problem.
56
Just waiting for Trump to say: "Giuliani? I hardly know him."
69
Will Rudy spill the beans regarding President Trump to save himself ?
42
@Mike Brown Now there’s an interesting thought!
No. Trump will pardon him on the way out.
Rudy needs to be reminded of the fate of
Trump’s former personal atty and loyal fixer —
“I’d take a bullet for Trump”, Michael Cohen.
Mr. Motormouth Giuliani will definitely spill the beans especially if there is the slightest hint Trump is distancing himself from Rudy Who?
Paul...Meet your new roommate.
71
what a pathetic fall from his 911 leadership. greed is a cancer that is eating everything around trump.
46
@Angela - We really need to stop repeating this myth about his 9/11 leadership. Grandstanding in front of cameras is not leadership.
9
“Rudy who? I’ve met the guy, but I really don’t know him.”
—- Donald Trump
59
Hmmmmm ... now two of the president’s personal lawyers are either convicted or about to be. Make me think ......
39
Am waiting to see how AG Barr is going to grab the reins and rescue Rudy.
29
Bus, meet Rudy. Rudy, meet bus..
104
How could anyone in their right mind expect Trump to "drain the swamp" when his own White House is a cesspool?
94
@Lewis Ford
Explain that to his base. Much of the Cabinet is composed of business lobbyists who have a history of working against the very agencies Trump has appointed him to lead.
3
William Barr to shut down the investigation in 3...2....1..
64
Rudy, consider flipping while you can . The President isn’t sure if you are still his lawyer, just like he said once upon a time about Michael Cohen.
93
Donald Trump: "Rudy ?....Rudy who ?.....go ask the Kurds....I think he's with them..."
The Art Of Betraying Everybody: Donald Trump's Life Story
173
@Socrates
Some people are deserving of betrayal. And Donald is an expert at finding them.
4
I'm old enough to remember when we all admired the work Rudy Giuliani did as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He put a lot of Mafiosi in prison. His great work in that career catapulted him to being New York City mayor, where he served with honor.
So it is really sad to see this doddering old man today, conspiring with foreign agents, all working for a really corrupt US President, to advance the causes of Vladimir Putin. Rudy, how could you fall so far? You were once so close to the sun. Today you are just a national embarrassment.
91
From your SF perch, you could admire Rudy. Much as many in states other than NY assume wrongly about Trump. Only a NYer born before 1970 could size up these two guys for what they were then and continue to be today.
3
@Joe Miksis
Catapulted to Capitulation
I just submitted a comment foreseeing a future Oscar winner, "All the President's Henchman". Then I saw that exact headline with Michelle Cottle's op ed running next to this Giuliani story! Strange times, indeed.
41
If we get a Rudy perp walk it's all been worth it.
65
@Paul S
You beat me too it !
To make it really good,we need to see the handcuffs.
3
If revenge is a dish best served cold, Hillary must be prepping her winter duds...
55
Hillary needs to stay outta sight and in the woods.
She only distracts and revs up the ire of the Republicans.
If any Republican is even starting to admit a few flaws in Trump as a result of recent news, it will be disastrous for ANY Clinton to destroy that shifting momentum by appearing in public.
Trump supporters hate Hillary.
They’ll dig in and say:Trump might be acting unethically but he’s no way near as bad as the crooked Clinton’s.
The heat will be shifted from suspicions about Trumps bad behaviors to Hillary’s “crimes”.
Rudy will soon be calling Alan Dershowitz.
54
Karma Time Rudy!
40
tick tock Tick Tock TICK TOCK... Times up Rudy.
38
Uh, I wonder if good ole boy Lindsey Graham still wants his buddy Rudy Giuliani to brief and update his Senate Judiciary Committee on the Ukraine.
101
@srwdm
Good ole boy indeed. Elevated, like Rudy, to national prominence he doesn't deserve by the media. We don't yet know whether he allegiance is to Trump or to the Constitution.
Donald Trump.
Rudy Giuliani.
William Barr.
Gordon Sondland.
Mike Pence.
Mike Pompeo.
Is Dame Justice waking up from her long nap?
169
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18 Gordon Sondland is set to testify to House committees on Thursday about his role and knowledge of the Giuliani/Trump chicanery in the Ukraine. Should be interesting. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin should be added to the list of suspects because of his role in helping to cover up Trump's tax returns.
4
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18
Still to come: conveniently 2018 retired SCOTUS Justice Anthony and his Trump funding son and former Deutsche Bank commercial real estate exec, Justin.
4
If?
11
What is striking is how so many of these Trump lawyers such as Giuliani, and White House advisors are not as self protective as you would expect them to be, given the history lesson of Watergate.
Twenty of Nixon's aids, associates, and lawyers, including his personal lawyer, Herbert Kalmbach, and two of his AGs, Mitchell and Kleindeist, were sentenced to prison. About 18 of the 20, including Kalmbach and Mitchell, actually served time in prison.
Right now how can those advising Trump feel confident about how this will end for themselves. Do they believe that all of those lawyers on the scent from the Southern District simply aren't as smart as they are?
54
@Maura3 in their grandiosity they are superior to others and therefore immune to consequences, but their poor reality testing will bring them down.
3
@Maura3
Men and the irresistible allure of getting a stiffie from standing next to power, even if it's proto-omnipotent criminal corrupt power.
What naive childlike Americans MUST begin to understand is the larger scheme: Why rent a lawyer when you can buy a judge...or several?
With Gowdy out as the point person, legal mind for Trump’s impeachment defense, Rudy can take over that urgent role. Rudy will be a quick study in that new job as he is already intimately familiar with Trump’s moral compass or lack thereof. Will just be more of the same strategy.
10
@Marylou
Gowdy is only out until January, due to lobbying laws. Let's hope he withdraws permanently before then. He may want to run in 2024. Better to stay squeaky clean.
1
God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
17
@Grain Boy Accepting Trump would be like accepting a snake in the bathroom. Apologies to any snake reading this; to compare you to Donald was rather unfair.
It is a law of nature and the universe that anyone, at any time, can take facts and turn them 180 degrees, to make a somewhat convincing argument that "left is right, up is down, bad is good." It isn't even difficult to do this.
Rudy has been doing this for a living for a while now, and will continue to do so. The problem is, if you continue to do this long enough, you will wind up on the wrong side of the law.
33
@Tim And to paraphrase Rudy himself, “truth isn’t truth”
If you have and act with integrity you have nothing to fear. Nothing anyone says will never come close to you.
If you tell the truth, you never have to remember the lie. My father taught me this. It is not always easy, but actually, really - it is easy.
40
@Full Name (required) That’s just what judge Judy says. If you tell the truth, you don’t need a good memory. So true.
As a former federal prosecutor, I doubt he would ever put himself in a position where he would be convicted. It will turnout to be much to do about nothing.
7
@George you are ignoring the role of psychopathology. Grandiose individuals view themselves as superior to others and therefore immune to consequences. Educational attainments and professional accomplishments do not preclude poor reality testing from being one's 'Achilles' heel'.
3
george,
Not if your co-conspirator is Trump. Rudy is going to end up with a similar trajectory as Cohen. Aimless pleas, interviews with prosecutors, a little visit to court, and then Jail, bigly!
2
Getting away with sleaze. The new standard of winning.
What about violations of the law that prohibits soliciting things of value from a foreign nation to influence an election? Why shouldn't he be investigated for that?
22
In addition to any criminal actions which may be charged against Giuliani for his latest gambit, he should also be concurrently investigated as to whether or not his license to practice law in NY should be suspended or revoked for his actions in this and other matters.
28
A year after 9/11, while Ground Zero was still a mass grave, Giuliani published his self-serving memoir "Leadership." At the time, I thought it was a selfish, grotesquely arrogant thing to do in the wake of a horrible tragedy. It seems that all these years later he hasn't improved as a human being one iota.
60
The smartest thing Rudy could do is start giving sworn testimony to Congress in public meetings. It is not as if he has a client-attorney privilege to protect, since it doesn't apply in these criminal situations to conceal or create crimes.
It is time for his John Dean moment.
31
I clearly remember that Paul Manafort was prosecuted last year for not disclosing his contacts with foreign government officials and was confused at how Guiliani seemed to be doing the same thing without penalty. I assumed that this was because he was operating at the request of the POTUS. Glad to see that this is finally catching up to him.
49
The snowball has started rolling down the hill, and the train has left the station; there's light at the end of the tunnel. Or, if you prefer, all things come to those who wait. How's that for a nice derangement of clichés and metaphors?
But I'm curious: will Giuliani throw Trump under the bus, or vice versa? It could go either way. (Throwing someone under the bus -- another nice metaphor and cliché, though perhaps of necessity somewhat overused of late.)
26
Well spotted!
I’m surprised the bus can even navigate the road, at this point- it is so littered with the bodies of those thrown under.
4
@Ellen Valle You could chew gum, walk and throw teflon politicians under the bus because nobody is above the law.
From the mouth of our Commander and Chief himself,
"I don't know why a person who defrauds the American public should be protected".
That sums up pretty well the majority view of this country's people. I certainly agree.
32
How is it possible that the President, if he is not golfing, using so much of his time at political rallies. This is not part of the job description.
If we ever bring our government again into the hands of th people we need to make some major changes, that I know the supreme court with all the boohoo on free speech (soon shooting people will be free speech)will resist.
There will need to be strict rules as to what a President can and cannot do - and not adhering to them would be automatic eject.
Political rallies need to be limited to weekends.
Elections need to be on a Sunday, as in most countries.
We need to limit elections and primaries to short window of no more than 3 months each, with all primaries on the same day.
An even less attainable wish list would be to eliminate the Senate, or rather to minimize the power of the Senate. And to obliterate the Electoral College. (Gives every College a bad name.)
I'd like to see an investigative series that explains why almost all our Senators are within a few years in the Senate suddenly very rich persons. Surely not from their public salary.
41
@CitizenTM You are so right in regards to all the points you make! It is infuriating that a president may run around doing these awful rallies. Who's paying for his air travel, I read that cities are getting stiffed for supplying security.
And yes, how is it that these senators or legislators become so wealthy?! It strikes me that it is a passive sort of insider trading so to speak.
It's exhausting to think about how things have evolved.
2
All these many days I wondered whether this America could find the resolve and drive to get Trump and his minions. Not out of spite...because as we've learned, the guy just can't help but admit his failings. I wondered and waited...and now...I sense that after three years, the system is kicking in, and we will get this guy. I sense that this is truly the beginning of the end for Trump. For that I am thankful. I am also interested to see that we put in place protections so that we never have to wait this long in the future should such treasonous behavior occur by a president.
30
His brazenness was mind boggling considering how reckless he was/is. I'm looking forward to his demise, trial and punishment.
25
Parnas and Fruman are alleged to have lobbied the US on behalf of Ukrainian officials who wanted to get rid of Yovanovitch, yet they were allegedly on Rudi Giuliani's payroll, while working on behalf of Trump .
If there was indeed a conspiracy by the White House and Giuliani to force a foreign government to lobby the US to do something that the US actually was lobbying that foreign government to do, then it seems quite logical to ask whether Giuliani was acting as the agent of a foreign government, and was lobbying, and has broken the law in creative new ways.
22
@Sequel
Since he was acting on behalf of Trump, the real question is whether the President was obligated to register as an agent of a foreign government . . . and which foreign government(s)?
Some people might be reminded of the Marx Brothers; but I imagine this recounted in dialogue between George Burns and Gracie Allen. I'm sure Gracie could explain it.
2
Every Trump action seems to have, in one way or another, some connection with Russia (Ukraine, Syria, etc.). And generally, when Trump acts, Putin always wins. Since Trump is in Office, Russia is objectively stronger, the United States objectively weaker. I think it's time to ask frankly what Putin has in his hand to blackmail Trump.
35
If there is a political "pearly gate" what will the United States say when asked "Did you ever subject a foreign state to illicit influence?" One can't begin to count the ways.... But, still, Presidential participation in such nefarious activities- backed by his Party - is unprecedented.
12
Birds of a feather--Giuliani and Trump seem separated at birth, displaying so many of the same qualities: arrogance,mendacity, self-aggrandizement, and a total disregard for the law. Trump is meaner and more vindictive
Both are attracted to conspiracy thinking, especially if they can use it to make a quick buck.
And both seem to have flown too close to the sun. America will only be great again when both are driven out of public life and into prison for their crimes.
36
Hope the lawyer representing Giuliani's soon to be ex-wife in their divorce proceedings is up for these unexpected revelations. Not only could she clean up financially but she might also drain that swamp in the process.
24
Trump is now saying he doesn’t know if Giuliani is still his lawyer. Trump has the habit of abandoning people as soon as they are in trouble. Somehow he thinks he trump is untouchable. Why does he think that?
25
So the pressing question is whether Guliani is a coward who will slink quietly away with some kind of plea deal or has the chutzpah to lay the blame at the spurred Trump feet and begin the circular firing squad manuever.
14
I am in awe of the reporters who continue to dig up these stories! The feds dont share secrets easily. The NYT and all the reporters covering this administration are doing a tremendous job and all patriotic Americans owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
67
Would someone also explain: is creating and disseminating disinformation with malicious intent and for personal profit also a crime? This was done in the guise of a “lawyer” acting as an official representative of the United States at the behest of the President.
23
It's all starting to unravel, little by little - the lies, the corruption, the self-dealing, the hypocrisy, the moral violence. The dam is breaking around President Trump and his amoral enablers, and there's nothing he can do to stop it. The utter arrogance and stupidity of both Mr. Trump and his unhinged attorney Mr. Giuliani will be their undoing, a comeuppance worthy of a Greek tragedy if we weren't all suffering along with them in this horrible, unending drama.
The investigations will not stop, nor should they. We can only hope that more witnesses like the very brave Ambassador Yovanovitch will come forward so that we can once again reclaim some semblance of our rule of law, and ensure that despicable men like Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani see the justice they so richly deserve.
35
You can't say Michael Cohen didn't warn him. Absolute Trump corrupts absolutely.
23
Oh brother. So once again we have the corrupt “Individual 1” responsible for crimes he somehow gets others to commit. Let’s get Giuliani off the streets, although with the crooked Barr atop the Justice Dept (should we be thinking of renaming it?) not much is likely to happen. And isn’t Trump likely to pardon his henchmen Manafort and Giuliani, possibly Barr, Pence and Pompeii? You have to wonder how many corrupt people it takes before Republicans do a classic Trump move and throw HIM under the bus? Long overdue.
15
@Andy - Trump hasn't shown that kind of loyalty to anyone.
3
Bill Barr to the rescue as the General can fix anything. Rudy is as safe as safe can be with Trump and Barr protecting him.
7
@terry brady I predict Barr will design in the next 6 months.
1
What is the justification for a private citizen to involve himself in our foreign policy?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Giuliani and Trump could one day be cellmates?
15
Say it isn’t so, Rudy!
(Sarcasm)
There are more developments to this investigation into Rudy Giuliani’s criminal conduct to come. He is toast. He may need to cop a plea to stay out of the slammer. If Trumps lawyers ( Cohen and now Giuliani) are crooked, what does that say about their client, Individual One? Isn’t it ironic that it’s the SDNY that has the jurisdiction to bring Rudy down. Giuliani came into prominence there where he established a great career at fighting organize crime.
Mr. President, your aides have advised you that a strategy is sorely needed to combat this Impeachment thing and you just lost your go to strategists.
Unbelievable!
8
I have a horse in this race and it runs fair and fast. I live near the Federal prison near Scranton and up until recently, Manafort was held there but then moved to near Pittsburgh. There was a murder at the prison near here I believe after Manafort was transferred. A recent news report stated Giuliani, Trump's Lawyer, was communicating with Manafort's lawyer recently. Without telling you how as you would not believe it, Manafort likely gained valuable information he may have shared that got back to Giuliani and possibly to Trump.
My dad was murdered and torture of me commenced as we were both witnesses, in early 1987 after Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade left office after many decades including when he presided over the local Kennedy assassination investigation.
2
Rudy is going to find out it’s a lot more fun pitching than catching.
11
Since "the mayor" had ,it seems, free and unfettered access to the White House, did he pass his security clearances? Did the FBI investigate his business history? Client history? Did they check his tax returns? Did lie to the FBI too? It is five years in jail for every lie told to the FBI.
16
So many of Trump’s associates will be relying on Trump for pardons.
But with Trump either likely to be impeached or actually impeached, the prospect of pardons dims considerably.
This means very quickly, cutting deals with prosecutors will be the smartest game in town.
Hereafter, perhaps we should refer to “Rudi Squealiani” aka the snitch.
14
I love the pinky ring! Symbolic of so much!
16
“It would be kind of ridiculous to say I was doing it on Lutsenko’s behalf when I was representing the president of the United States,” Mr. Giuliani said. Isn’t Giuliani Mr. Trump’s attorney, not The President’s attorney?
15
@Ted Downing unfortunately Ted, they are one and the same. i wish i didn’t know that either.
1
The SDNY district attorney reports to William Barr. And I can’t help but believe that sooner or later that shoe will drop, that Barr will—directly or indirectly—stamp out both the investigation of Giuliani and the one of Trump himself (with its concomitant effort to get Trump’s tax returns and business records).
After all, Barr filed formal opposition this week in the litigation over Trump’s tax returns—directly opposing the SDNY, which REPORTS to him. And just Wednesday night, after Trump went wild over critical Fox news coverage, not to mention a Fox poll showing that a majority of Americans favor his impeachment and removal, Barr met with Rupert Murdoch at Murdoch’s home. And a day and a half later one of the critical Fox news people “resigned.”
Bar would deny, of course, that he’s acting as Trump’s personal lawyer or in Trump’s political interests. And there’s no evidence—yet—to connect Barr’s Murdoch meeting with Shepard Smith’s resignation. But as Henry David Thoreau once said, “Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, such as when you find trout in the milk.”
22
Rudy Giuliani like Donald Trump believes he is above the laws. His arrogance deceptions and lies will soon come back to haunt him.
Watergate was benign in comparison to the lawlessness of the Trump administration.
18
To watch the pain and humiliation Americans are inflicting in themselves at the moment is just awful. The idea to sue the President out of office with just a year to go until the election is just crazy. How can any potential gain outweigh the obvious harm of such a procedure? I just looked at the NYTimes tally of lawmakers supporting the impeachment inquiry. It’s firmly divided by party lines.
Nobody ever mentions that the House of Representatives switched majority in an election held during the peak of Russia-Trump collusion conspiracy theory news reporting. I remember it well. It was headline news every day. So American voters made their choice, without which these proceedings would not be possible, while they were misinformed by the media.
What a mess. I can’t understand why you would do something like this to yourselves. Remember, it’s one year until the presidential election and he can’t pass any new legislation through the House of Representatives until then. One year! And you’ve already got him checked! Why?
What is the harm ? And btw- it is the duty of law and Congress to apply the standards of the office.
5
@Michael because it's the right thing to do if we consider ourselves a nation of laws.
4
@Michael. The “media” has not misinformed the public. Fox “News” misinforms the public as it, echoing Trump, pushes conspiracy theories and sometimes Russian propaganda to its viewers for “entertainment”. If you do not understand the gravity of the destruction to this democracy posed by Donald Trump you haven’t been paying attention. Our bedrock institutions are weakened, our national security at risk and our system of checks and balances is in crisis. So far as passing legislation: it is not the fault of the House of Representatives. Blame for that goes squarely to Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump who will not take up bipartisan legislation on trade, drug pricing, common sense gun control, health care and election security. Have you also noticed that Donald Trump just caused an imminent genocide of our allies the Kurds and a potential resurgence of Isis and further destabilization of the Middle East with his arrogant stupidity? He’s destabilizing the world economy with his trade wars and he’s just been caught abusing his office to get a foreign government to manufacture dirt on a political rival. Russian Money is flowing into his campaign. If left unchecked he will rig the 2020 election. He must be held to account for his lies now.
1
Is it just me or does anyone else think they can hear a voice that sounds just like one of Trump's previous personal lawyers that testified before Congress. It keeps saying, "I told you so, this is what happens when you associate with the Donald!" ...
12
When someone comes up to Donald Trump and says "sir" etc how does that person get through security to just waltz up to a president to start a sentence with "sir". I won't use the vulgar unpresidential word Trump used in the campaign speech. RUDY exposing corruption for Trump's sake? Sure. Instead of Rudy, Donald should use a person harder to pin down. Someone as corporeal as Jacob Marley's ghost perhaps; his very powerful friend on Wall St the newly cited "Steve" whom Trump mentioned for the first time a couple of days ago. No surname but very powerful nonetheless. Perhaps its a Sir-name. Perhaps he could be the man Trump is going to put- as he boasts- "on the face of the moon". He will have the indisputable though incorporeal advantage of not needing a space suit. Perhaps instead of Rudy, Trump should deputise his friend in Paris, the intangible Jim who has apparently unconstrained access to Donald and rings up the U.S.President at will. Like Steve, Jim has the distinct advantage over Rudolph of not actually existing. Try subpoenaing Jim or Steve. Since they are inaudible as well as invisible, they are less inclined to shooting their mouths off than Rudy is. Plus if you throw Jim and Steve under the bus no need for an ambulance. I am not saying that the dear leader is lying about anything. I am strongly implying it. Though.
8
In Watergate, the burglars who were arrested, tried and convicted of burglary were doing so on behalf of the cabal of WH staffers who were attempting to get Nixon re-elected. They had no defense of working for the president in that case. Neither shall Rudy have such here in working for Trump extra-officially.
12
The SDNY district attorney reports to William Barr. I keep waiting for that shoe to drop, for Barr to stamp out the SDNY’s investigations into Giuliani and into Trump’s possible campaign finance violations (with its concomitant effort to get Trump’s tax and business records) all in one fell swoop.
After all, on Wednesday night, after Trump went wild over critical coverage by some Fox news people and after a Fox poll showed a majority of Americans want him impeached and removed, Barr went to meet with Rupert Murdoch at Murdoch’s home. And a day a half later one of the Fox newsmen who had been critical of Trump “resigned.” Barr would deny he’s acting as Trump’s personal lawyer and in Trump’s political interests, of course, and there’s no direct evidence (yet) to connect Barr’s Murdoch meeting with Shepard Smith’s resignation. But, as Thoreau once said, “Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, such as when you find a trout in the milk.”
5
Delusions of grandeur, a recurring theme with America's Mayor.
4
why is it that US immigration laws are so strictly applied to Muslims and Latin Americans, but not to Russian-speaking people from the former Soviet Union?
It's way past time for the US to step up deportations of Russian-speaking illegal immigrants.
15
Working for Trump inevitably leads to a nice view of the underside of a bus.
This Teflon Don has no loyalty to anyone but himself.
His remaining toadies should keep that in mind for when they too end up as roadkill.
10
Schadenfreude. What a lovely feeling.
12
Donald Trump and his silent Republican congressional members are very worried as the noose slowly tightens. A replica of Nixon’s Watergate. Let’s see how much longer they remain loyal to Trump.
5
Let's elect a woman. The men have had a go at it and look at the results. Women will make mistakes, but they will be different mistakes. The future has to be better than this.
Seriously, vote for a toaster. At least you will get toast out of the bargain. This is just.....sad.
17
Congress must demand BARR's RECUSAL.
14
Th Trump quote about Giuliani is so telling. Trump says: “Rudy has been my lawyer”. A masterfully inadequate attempt at using imprecise language to loosen the link. He does not say- ‘is my lawyer’ as so often he did. He does not say- ‘was my lawyer’ which also is a more certain tense of the verb ‘to be’. He uses ‘has been’ which is quite indefinite in terms of timing trying to make it murky. Further, it is ridicule because the way we Americans call somebody who no longer has effective status as a colloquialism is: eg. Rudy is a ‘has been’. A person whose time expired prior to now.
7
Don’t believe it. This justice department will deflate the impeachment inquiry’s momentum by 1) finding that Rudy did nothing wrong and 2) the Ukrainian couple will never speak to congress.
4
Giuliani may well go the way of Michael Cohen. But I cannot help but believe that William Barr won’t be sure Trump stays squeaky clean in the process.
After all, the SDNY reports to William Barr. So if/when this investigation gets too close to Trump don’t you think it will simply vanish into the ether—just like the SDNY’s investigation into Trump’s “hush money” payments magically disappeared after Michael Cohen went to jail?
And look what else Barr is doing that just happens to help Trump. On Wednesday night, after Trump went wild over critical Fox News coverage and the release of a Fox poll showing a majority of Americans supported his impeachment and removal, Barr met with Rupert Murdoch at Murdoch’s home. And a day and a half later, one of the news people critical of Trump magically “resigned.” And late this week Barr filed opposition to New York State’s efforts to get Trump’s tax returns.
Of course, there’s no direct evidence of any link between Barr’s Murdoch call and Shepard Smith’s resignation, just as there’s no direct evidence Barr snuffed out the SDNY’s investigation of the campaign finance implications Trump’s hush money payments. And Barr would no doubt deny he’s acting as Trump’s personal lawyer or in Trump’s political interest in any of his meetings or filings.
But as Henry David Thoreau once said, “Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, such as when you find a trout in the milk.”
2
@Steel Magnolia - There are simply too many players. Barr can't silence everyone.
1
Was Mr Giuliani's ticket to Vienna also one-way?
7
So that’s why they have been pushing the phony Ukrainian influence story. It did seem odd that Trump and Giuliani would push such a transparently false line of inquiry.
Here’s how it worked: It gave them cover to do their hatchet work and double dealing to say that Giuliani was providing legal services for Trump in uncovering the Ukranian influence on the 2016 election. This was the smoke screen Trunp needed to both go after Biden in Ukraine and it also shielded Giuliani as he enriched himself with foreign lobbying. It’s brilliant but it looks like the Feds are on to them. The jig is up boys!
9
Good. He's arrogant and ignorant, then acts as if laws don't apply to him.
8
Mueller must be having a tough time keeping a smile off his face in the light of recent events.
5
America’s mayor might be going to jail? That would be sweet. No one is above the law...
7
Surely Rudy can be considered to be a sitting lawyer/lobbyist for a lying American president? With Barr part of the investigation, Rudy too will be elevated above the law.
Advanced age and senility has not been kind to Mr. Guliani. I am looking forward to seeing law enforcement officers escorting this joker in handcuffs. Pathetic.
10
Overheard in some future broadcast:
Oh! And this just in: Montenegro has announced it will endorse the GOP in the 2024 election! By our count that is now 64 nations for the GOP and 73 for the Dems, but, although outnumbered, the GOP have Russia of course....
10
I predict Barr will be paying a visit to Berman next. Yesterday Rupert Murdoch, today SDNY AG Geoffrey Berman.
The ultimate fixer has quite a mess on his hands when his client's only defense is "Rudy? Is Rudy still my attorney? I thought Bill was my attorney. You know, the one I told Zelensky to go talk to. I haven't spoken with Rudy for like, 30 minutes. Bill? Bill? Where are you Bill?
Seriously, what precisely does Bill Barr do besides jet around the world, chasing Trump's fantasies and covering up his crimes? Here's hoping Berman has plenty of witnesses when Barr comes to visit or simply asks, "You don't mind if we tape this conversation, do you?"
10
Oh look! Michael Cohen was right, work for Trump and it’s YOU who takes the fall.
To think that other members of Trump’s crew might see this and maybe finally step away from the table is fantasy. These are very greedy, very selfish stupid bad people. Worse, they think they’re wise guys who have the game rigged.
The Lord can judge them, but he’s gonna have to wait his turn; the Southern District gets them first.
9
So if the “client” sez you are not my attorney, the lawyer can insist he still represents the client? So confusing.
3
At what point will Trump abandon Guiliani and call him „cheating Rudy“ ?
3
Uh oh Rudy. Trump is saying that he’s not sure your his lawyer any more. I think that means you’ll be going to jail in the near future.
9
But the Clinton campaign and the DNC weren't investigated when they pressured Ukraine to look for dirt on Trump during the 2016 campaign. Why the double standard for Dems?
Who needs more information about this dirty president, Giuliani and associates ?. The SDNY have plenty material. Can we have a fast decision and arrest one by one. Trump have to be impeached now, today. This administration is criminal, corrupt , they only play dirty games.We need to stop all of them.
12
The diamond pinky ring is a bad look.
12
What happened to the old Giuliani? He wasn't universally liked but he was a reasonably respected mayor and apparently sane. Now he is blatantly lying every time he opens his mouth and he is rolling around with... come on... sleazy guys that might as well be wearing "organized crime" T-shirts trying to sway our elections and policies. I think Rudy is suffering from some sort of neurological disorder and I'm not saying that flippantly or sarcastically.
7
People who commit crimes should be investigated, put on trial, and if convicted should go to jail.
1411
@Carl
Hear, hear!
From the mouth of our PINO,
"I don't know why a person who defrauds the American public should be protected".
49
@Carl
Never happens if one is a millionaire, or richer.
Or politically connected!
27
@Carl Well, then let's investigate Biden, finally.
2
The dominoes are beginning to fall. And there are many, many more to come. Everyone will be held accountable to illustrate to the world that the USA is a democracy and still adheres to the rule of law.
This country will have to efface all traces of Trump to restore our credibility. This absolutely has to happen. It has already begun.
1589
@Marcus Schantz From your fingertips to Zeus's eyes.
96
@Marcus Schantz this will take an amazing amount of work that only warren could pull off. vote 2020 warren.
97
@L'historien —“Only she can fix it”? Where have we heard THAT before?
16
The tide seems to be turning. It's going to be bumpy but I think we are starting to move in the right direction. Today, I feel more hopeful than I have since that terrible day in 2016 when Trump was elected. We need to stay alert America, when cornered Trump may become more dangerous.
172
The laws at issue are designed to prevent covert foreign influence on the US. Giuliani was pursuing covert US influence on Ukraine. Other than the fact that his conduct in no way violated the statute, this looks like a great case.
8
@michjas In purpose only covertly to influence the American voter's respect for Mr Biden
1
@michjas - You should read the indictment.
3
@michjas
If what you say is correct , that the laws are there to prevent covert foreign influence in thr US , then exerting covert influence in the US is exactly what Giuliani was doing . He was trying to involve a corrupt former Ukrainian prosecutor to concoct false claims against Biden in order to help Trump’s 2020 campaign and to get the American ambassador to Ukraine fired because she was actually working to root out real corruption in Ukraine . This effort to root out corruption by the new Ukrainian President included the the previous firing of Letsenko for being a corrupt prosecutor who was suppose to be rooting out corruption in Ukraine but was just as corrupt as the rest .,
So sorry , but from my vantage point Giuliani looks pretty guilty if you’re using the legal criteria you set out in your comment .
7
This nothing burger comes with fires, a shake, and slaw. Next week it’ll be the entire menu. A happy meal indeed!
22
The Deluxe Nothing Burger comes with one way tickets to Moscow. Enjoy.
13
Federal Prosecutors in New York are investigating whether former federal prosecutor from New York, Giuliani violated lobbying laws?
It's like the Chief of police investigating his own department. I just can't take any of the prosecutors words seriously after they and their New York Television industry appointed Trump in the first place three years ago.
Bottom line; It's all about Fossil Fuels versus Free Energy.
10
@PATRICK it’s all about Ukraine being a Russian vassal state or being independent from Russia. The support of a independent Ukraine have been the policy of the west since 1989.
6
During the 2016 election the idea that Trump could possibly seeks or receive "dirt" about Hillary from Russia was horrifying. Remember that? Now he is President of the United States and he and his agents are seeking dirt on his political rivals from foreign states, and they are doing it in the open and declaring that there is nothing wrong with it. And worse, Republicans are defending it. How has he managed to do this to us?
155
And on top of that, foreign money was donated to Trump’s campaign by Giuliani associates. How many laws have to be broken?
9
It’s all about his base. He’s got the market cornered on disenfranchised, angry voters. And, the Republicans know they need that same group of voters to be re-elected.
5
@Jill mcNish...sorry, Jill...that last one meant for Maureen below...;)
In another week or two, Trump will be saying, "Rudy Guiliani? I don't think I ever met him."
135
I think he already said it
1
did you know that Rudy's son Andrew works as assistant personal liaison to Trump? What is that?
5
@Maureen Hawkins...already happening..."I don't know if he's my lawyer, or not....
3
The increasing reliance on the unaccountable “said to be” disclaimer in stories is very troubling. Either get the story and stand behind it or don’t run it.
14
@W If the WAPO had followed your advice Nixon would have gotten away with his crimes. Hmm, maybe that's the point, for you.
6
Once again, the tone of this article says is set with an amazing photo by Charles Krupa. The diamond pinkie ring pretty much tells us what he need to know. Let the investigation begin!
36
So I guess this is the second personal attorney of Mr Trump in the last couple of years who is in serious legal trouble trying to carry out Trump’s illegal schemes. Interesting pattern there
59
@R how is it that people around trump keep falling but no one can stick the blame to trump himself? Why have we made presidents above law? Sooner or later he has to be answerable.
6
@petey tonei
The House Committee is working from the tail towards the head of the snake. Trump’s turn is on the horizon.
I really feel bad for us all--Americans are being taken to the cleaners by Trump and his Eastern Bloc billionaire thugs and those enablers like Giuliani who, to me, are the very definition of full-bore traitors.
In interviews, you can see the visceral contempt on the faces of Pompeo, Mulvaney, Pence and Gardner as they're asked the most basic of questions by the media.
We the People and our Fourth Estate are the only things keeping our country from fading into the oblivion of tyranny.
90
Sad really. How low a guy can fall out of greed.
Because I do not think for a minute that Guliani’s wrongdoing is down to devotion to Trump.
None of these guys know what loyalty means. They have not shown any to their country. They are prepare to sell us down the proverbial Russian river !
35
I saw Eric Trump leading a campaign rally in a chorus of, “Lock him up. lock him up.” He was talking about Biden, but I was thinking about the President and Giuliani.
56
You know, when we are the most discouraged, most believing that we are never going to get out of this, some times, some days, we will find news and articles that will give us hope. Thank you to Schmidt, Protess, Vogel and Rashbaum. We will all find strength in your reporting.
Yes, some may have a great time attending the parties of Trump rallies, the massive group energy (try going to a baseball play-off-game) and you know that the next game may be the last for your team, but you scream your head off anyway.
I listened to a report on Trump the other day - he is an entertainer and knows how to keep his audience involved. That is all he is and we need to learn to ignore him.
39
As someone wiser than I has said, if they are not paying you then they are not the client. Reputedly, Trump is not paying RG. One must therefore ask is Trump the client or the Ukrainians and Russians who are paying RG
35
Giuliani seems to have forgotten the law. He may need a refresher.
22
What’s completely revelatory here: what Rudy and the boys were complaining about. I mean, “she got in the way of my gas deals?”
Yikes.
52
If he goes to jail, he's going to meet a lot of inmates eager to see him.
49
@rjkrawf
Sadly, they will keep him separate.
2
I'll say it again: Arrest Rudy and watch what happens.
39
Disbar him (should have happened years ago)!
39
Rudy, Don, Hilary, Joe and Hunter... take them all. it's fine, seriously.
7
Dear Lord,
Please indict this man.
Thank you,
The world
61
Amen
7
and the hits just keep on coming
17
MAGA = My Attorney's Getting Arrested
124
MAGAA. Add an A for Again. Don’t forget Michael Cohen.
5
Thanks for this. Love it.
If the primary Ukrainian export was broccoli......I doubt that Manafort, Giuliani, Trump or Biden’s son would have any business dealings in this country.
16
If the federal agencies did their job investigating at the appropriate time, then we would not be having this mess of having another country being sought for assistance. How could Mr. John Q Public obtain a $50000/month job for an energy/gas retrieval company without any prior experience other than having an influential parent who was the VP. Where do I apply and get a guarantee to obtain the job?
7
@Hari ..... maybe if you were one of mr. trump's kids you could get a high powered job in the white house even though you could not get security clearance. then you could traipse all over he world taking money from foreign governments to bail you out of failing real estate properties and avail yourself of chinese trademarks. would that do?
avail yourself of chinese trademarks
59
@Hari
What a shock that some people get an unfair advantage because of who their parents are. A bunch of them are named Trump.
You can't weasel out of the consequences of your own misconduct by pointing to someone else's questionable behavior. I've never gotten away with doing that and I bet you haven't either. So don't defend it.
41
@Hari That question should be asked of Eric Trump.
32
So the trap walls begin to close on the actual rats, not those that are allegedly in Baltimore. I'm wondering if the shoe is feeling a bit tight now that it is on the other foot...
60
"I haven’t spoken to Rudy,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “I spoke to him yesterday." In a nutshell, that says everything about whether Giuliani was acting illegally and at Trump's behest. Wonder if Barr will run interference for Giuliani, or if not, whether Rudy will flip on Donny. At any rate, how interesting that everyone who ever led a "lock her up" chant at a Trump rally is now either locked up, under indictment, or on the verge of being indicted. All but one.
176
“whether...broke laws”
Did or didn’t?
Is there an infectious epidemic of willful blindness?
Willful deafness?
Willful indifference?
Willful ignorance when generalizable FACTs are
available and accessible?
Willful corruption by enabling, feeding and
infecting diverse people with complacency and complicity?
14
It isn’t a stretch to suspect the lawyer protecting the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma for 20+ years would find a home in the Trump administration.
51
Man, that diamond encrusted pinky ring...
83
@CA Reader
It's a signal to his backers. As long as he wears it his handlers know he is not breaking. When it comes off, they know they have to get out.
(This is just a pet theory I made up on the fly. No base in reality whatsoever. Kinda like Fox News makes up things.)
10
Parnas, Fruman, Trump.
Rudy, with clients and associates like that, you might consider a different line of work otherwise your new line of work might be pushing a book cart down a very long hallway where some of your old "friends" would be very eager to see you again...
33
"Through his two associates who also worked to oust the ambassador, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, Mr. Giuliani connected early this year with Mr. Lutsenko, who served as Ukraine’s top prosecutor until August. Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman had previously connected Mr. Giuliani to Mr. Lutsenko’s predecessor, Viktor Shokin, late last year."
Hang on... So Pamas and Fruman "connected Mr. Giuliani to" both Lutsenko and the notorious Shokin, the infamously corrupt top prosecutor everyone outside Ukraine (and many inside it) wanted fired? And that connection extended to legal advice?
According to info here, being "connected to" Lutsenko extended to Giuliani's providing legal advice to Lutsenko. Does that mean he had a similar lawyer relationship to Shokin?
Shokin was, of course, the top prosecutor whom Biden, as vice president, lobbied to have removed for corruption and failure to prosecute corruption. That is, the same man now cast by Trump and Giuliani as a principled investigator of corruption, whose eventual dismissal, Giuliani claims, is evidence of Biden's effort to protect his son's company from Shokin's (nonexistent) investigation. Yet this article reveals that Shokin was in Giuliani's own Ukraine business clique and that he was advising these people. That suggests that Giuliani saw Shokin as an ally and partner, even a client. In other words, Biden is being defamed by Giuliani for attacking Giuliani's client.
This whole affair just gets filthier by the hour.
66
People keep talking about Trump throwing Rudy under the bus. But, there being no honor among thieves, Rudy might have the last laugh if he starts to sing like a canary.
33
@Just a Simple Country Lawyer
Good point Lindsay.
And just to be clear, there is a crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege (plus the fact that in some circumstances Rudy may not have even been acting in his capacity as an attorney).
Will he still get a Yankees championship ring?
11
Why are these criminals so confident? Who's behind these wise guys?
31
What I learned from cable news about this story. 1) While it appears 45 will dismiss Giuliani as his personal attorney, 45 is now linked to Giuliani's nefarious travels in Eastern Europe. The two likely will throw each other under the bus. 2) Rudy's conversations to Lev and Igor the FBI heard and have copies. 3) MAGA now means Make Attorneys Get Attorneys.
37
The headlines, as they pile up, are taking me straight back to Watergate.
Hallelujah!
33
@Jack Klompus I remember that; waiting with baited breath for the next bombshell to drop.
12
I'm trying to wrap my brain around this. The whole Giuliani part of the shebang is so hapless, chaotic, erratic, dishonest and ill-intentioned. They actively smeared honest professionals like the ambassador, and explicitly aided corrupt individuals like the Ukrainian prosecutor. They sought to vilify and undermine the Mueller findings. Do they believe they can get away with anything at all? Do they think they deserve to as Trumpies?
43
@Robert Yes they do...
12
While the technicalities of campaign finance laws may apply.... it is NOT kosher for the President's PERSONAL attorney who has NO sanctioned, appointed or elected role in the US government...and who was NOT working at the behest of the State Dept as he originally claimed......to be meddling in US Foreign affairs.
54
Trump will be the FIRST POTUS to have 2 personal lawyers and his campaign manager in the slammer by Day 1000 in office.
Meanwhile he is foaming at the mouth in Louisiana that Pelosi personally hates America, I guess because she believes the law applies to everyone. You could not make this Frankenstein president up in a million years.
167
@Kay Johnson . Frankenstein had some good points.
8
@Thorny
True.
1
Giuliani took Cohen’s job and will likely end like his predecessor. Watch Trump publicly ditching Giuliani. This time, if Rudy opens his mouth, Trump is finished.
35
@zumzar Haven't known Rudy to keep his mouth shut much if at all....thank goodness for that! Keep on talking Rudy..all the way to jail - and take your friend with you....
3
Somewhere far away Michael Milken must be having a chuckle.
8
@Perfect Commenter
Last summer Milken hired a lawyer to lobby Trump for a pardon. Guess which lawyer? Yup.
9
He could get away with an insanity defense.....
17
@John Mardinly
You might be onto something.
Lock him up. If his associates were arrested for work done at Giuliani's behest, then Giuliani must be arrested, too.
21
Nothing he did in earlier years excuses his sleazing around Eastern Europe soliciting foreign interference in our elections. Disbar him!
45
The Times is ok, but boy do I miss Jimmy Breslin and Wayne Barrett. I’ve been imagining the sarcasm they’d bring to this. Talk about the gang that couldn’t shoot straight.
16
Who bundled the money for Lev and Igor? Follow the money.
32
Just curious: Has anyone heard anything about Alan Dershowitz recently? He seems to be pretty quiet now. Perhaps he’ll be defending Giuliani.,,,
22
Funny you should ask- Dershowitz claimed a couple of days ago in the Wall Street Journal that Hamilton wouldn’t have impeached Trump.
Trump fits Hamilton’s description of the populist demagogue he feared to a tee.
9
R. Giuliani,,,, is the attorney for Zarreb, arrested for doing business with Iran , supplying them with something like 5 billion in gold,,,,, in defiance of US trade sanctions,,, placed by Trump. And yet Giuliani is Trump's lawyer too. And Giuliani attempted via Tillerson,, to get Zarreb released. Tillerson would not do it because it would be vastly illegal and improper. Tillerson was fired.
Now we have Parnas and Fruman who are trying to set up a gas and oil deal,,, for the Ukraine,, with Giuliani's assistance. These three,, Giuliani, Parnas, and Fruman are also funneling money into Pete Sessions accounts so he can fire Yovanovitch.
Then we have Turkey,, given a green light,, 2 days later Turkey attacks Syria and the Kurds,,,, 2 days? You cannot arrange for a babysitter for a date night with 2 days notice. Arm, supply, and plan an invasion in 2 days? NFW.
My guess at this time,, is the Biden stuff is a smoke screen. So that Trump can move 15 billion worth of oil and natural gas out of Iran and profit by the selling of that to Ukraine. Yovanovitch was not playing ball. The Kurds were not playing ball. Tillerson was not playing ball. Move them out of the way. With Giuliani's help. The pivot of the hinge is one lawyer, Giuliani.
It stinks,, it is starting to smell really bad.
And the American people are gonna catch the bill for this dinner tab.
76
@literally Excellent catch on how can Turkey from one day to the next be ready to invade Northern Syria! You are correct! Wow and all for Putin...follow the bouncing ball..but we will all suffer for these actions! This guy needs to leave the WH NOW!
25
deanalfred : Great analysis! I too could not believe the coincidental timing of Trump trying to do a prisoner exchange that Turkey wanted of the guy accused of five billion dollars in fraud in exchange for an American missionary. And then the payoffs to Sessions. When he wasn't able to pull that off-- the very next day Turkey is given carte blanche to invade Syria. Like it was a consolation prize. Krugman said the other day thank God he is an "unstable non genius". But pity the poor Kurds, the pawns in his sociopathic game.
1
Giuliani and the rest of the Trump crime syndicate appear to have drank quite a bit of “Koolade”.
But who is dispensing the “Koolade”.... Trump, Steve Miller, Steve Bannon? There is real evil afoot.
18
I sincerely hope that SDNY investigators have Guiliani and his two "buds" talking on a wiretap, all about their "anti-corruption crusade" for Ukraine and Trump's great amerika.
18
But not Biden or his son, LOL.
4
I'm reading "All the President's Men" again, after many decades, and am finding uncanny parallels between those acting on Nixon's behalf and those acting on Trump's behalf. Between the DoJ in Nixon's administration and the DoJ in Trump's.
There are also interesting similarities in how seemingly disparate things are tied together to form a greater picture of corruption.
These things are tied neatly together by people who couldn't stomach what was going on during Nixon's re-election campaign, just as those who work in the Trump White House can't stomach what is going on there.
In a tapestry the individuals threads are meaningless, but woven together, they tell a tale.
82
@Tenkan Watergate was NOTHING compared to this.
2
Perhaps Trump misspoke when he promised to drain the swamp and his message was fragmented. He intended to fill it first.
39
I guess the wheels of justice grind slow and exceedingly fine, but those of us who are watching this surreal farce in the States from afar - with Giuliani, the prosecutor, in a legal Twilight Zone and Pompeo, the statesman, with his mouth glued shut, twisting in the wind - wonder how long this saga can go on.
Perhaps some of the TV idols in this daytime drama are about to be written out of the script, but the series should win an Emmy in the Soap Awards.
37
No "American Hero" has fallen as hard as Rudy since Charles Lindbergh, and that was in the run up to WWII. Incredible.
41
@Steve Tunley Rudy was never a hero. The heros are the hundreds of FDNY firefighters and other first responders who died because of Rudy's refusal to authorize the communications equipment that would have saved their lives.
38
@Steve Tunley No one has fallen harder than Joe Biden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj-wNuKmBrY
1
@Bill Yes, I agree and is why I put "American Hero" in quotes.
5
If Trump is impeached by around January, but the Senate keeps him in office...he’ll have another year in office and will surely commit more impeachable offenses. Can he be impeached twice?
60
@Mary
There’s no limit on the number of impeachments....and there’s no limit on Trumpian depravity.
30
@ Mary
I like your sense of humor! This whole affair would be hilarious if it were not so totally serious.
9
Yes, there's no Constitutional limitation. It's like being charged with different offenses.
10
Of course Giuliani must be investigated. It was only a matter of time before evidence lined up to point at proof of his shady fixer role in the Trump political campaign. What other reason is there for his being glued to Trump's side and making outlandish, ridiculous spins on Trump's rants? It was all a kind of election fraud, from start to finish—except it isn't done yet.
40
They should make sure that they take his passport away. Very quickly.
90
Forget about all these nonsense. Subpoena Giuliani and let him talk under Oath.
34
@Life Is Beautiful
Under oath? Giuliani telling truths? What a laugh.
My Mom always said there is poetic justice. Godspeed, Rudy Giuliani. And, may the devil give you his due.
49
Have a problem: when Trump went looking for a “Roy Cohn”, one of the most revolting members Iof the American Bar, he did a good job with Rudy Giuliani - called everything from NYC’s worst mayor to, according to the not-so-lovable Ed Koch “not a nice man”.
But is the pending(?) indictment of Giuliani and the indictment of two of his operatives a “good idea” from the standpoint of justice - or another roadblock, allowing him to “plead the 5th”, say he cannot talk to a Congressional committee more legitimacy?
While, according to Trump, “only crooks take the 5th” once you’re charged, you can justify silence on the grounds anything you say can and will be (“twisted and”) used against you.
Rudy was likely to claim attorney-client privilege for anything he and Trump spoke of- though technically that’s to protect the client, not his lawyer (in this case the potential person facing charges).
Instead of opening an investigation - in re The Impeachment of Donald Trump - this might cut us off from a great deal of information, unless Rudy cuts a plea deal and gives up all claims of privilege when speaking to Congress.
Now Trump could demand he be silenced, then again, impeachment is not a criminal proceeding and whether attorney-client privilege holds on discussions concerning planning and commission of an impeachable offense is an, interesting? question.
And which way will he jump, Donald?
The full title of the Koch bio was “Rudy Giuliani is Not a Nice Man”, after all.
10
When will we get to the bottom of this rancid, foetid criminal activity on the part of the Trump "mob?" Every day the stench rises higher and higher.
But the worst part of this is that the MAGA-heads don't seem to know or care that their country is being sold down the river by these profiteering venal hucksters. How can anyone break through to them.
In Minneapolis at the rally yesterday one Trump supporter said it all: "I don't care what Trump does, as long as he sticks it to the liberals." Really! Are we really that shallow as a nation? Do we really care so little for our country?
95
@William O, Beeman
Yes, some people are.
If it’s any consolation, Americans are no different to populations of other countries.
These people exist in every country and they are, fortunately, a minority.
It is because they are like they are that Trump chose to use them! He selected them specifically.
They may seem more than the number they are because these people go to many rallies.
Some are paid and bussed in by Trump and his minions, though Trump would get others to pay them and for the busses.
He also gets his minions to give out MAGA and KAG hats so it seems like more spend their money than do.
Recently, while in a reasonably poorish town in the US, there was a truck out on the roadside in a public carpark selling Trump clothing and various Trump merchandise.
No on-one was buying.
21
When is everybody going to learn the ultimate truth as written in the book that sums up this pathetic spectacle of an excuse for an administration. You know; the one with the cover,"Everything Trump Touches Dies." Having conducted a rogue operation; which bypassed the acting Ambassador to the Ukraine to the point where Trump had to remove her so that she did not get in the way with Guiliani`s hair brained scheme to use the Ukrainian government to do Trump`s dirty work; and now have it blow up sky high in Rudy`s face; it seems he is the next to get thrown under the Trump bus. So sad to see such wonderful public servants being dragged to jail one after another. Where is the fun in running a fine dictatorship when you are always being investigated, arrested, and disposed of by King Trump like yesterday`s old newspaper. There just might be something to these checks and balances yet; despite 3 years of abuse of power.
19
@Greg Hodges
Pity that the US doesn’t have a system that would have shut Trump down in the first couple months.
13
Here’s what I would like to know. According to the Miami newspaper of record, the Ukrainian and the Belarusian associate of Giuliani have a history of debt and sketchy financial misadventures. Where did they get funds for a million dollars worth of political contributions? Who was paying Rudy Giuliani, or how was he to be pieced off? Was the takeover of the Ukrainian state gas company the real goal?
35
Giuliani will be brought to justice. His connections will eventually fade and he will be seen as the disgusting individual he really is. Off to jail.
41
The corruption at the top of this Great Country has to be stopped. Being lied to on a daily basis from the POTUS is and has been unbearable. And now this, Rudy Giuliani is in over his head... being put on the shelf by his client, if he sings to the SDNY office he will go down in "Trump terms" from being Americas Mayor to Americas Rat! You can't make this stuff up. We live in a kakistocracy.
31
"Once upon a time, you dressed so fine, threw the bums a dime, in your prime --- didn't you? People would call, say 'beware doll, you're bound to fall, you thought they were all kiddin' you...."
36
America's great strength comes from unity, with it a nation was formed, without it no nation, no what we have today. Men like Trump corrode unity by actions like having Giuliani his personal attorney running around the world on behalf of Trump engaging in who knows what kind of intertwined government and personal scheme - with Manafort's contacts and associates no less. This is out of control and we are in need of bipartisan congressional action today.
50
Rudolph Giuliani has been a dark character in New York politics for many years. The fact that we are now seeing this on the international stage is just a magnification of who he has always been.
It would indeed be poetic justice for him to be indicted and arrested by one of his successors in the Southern District of New York.
Giuliani, Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo and Bob Barr have demonstrated that they believe that they and their President are above the law .
They are all going to learn a very painful lesson. And by having underestimated the intelligence of the American people, this is going to be a lesson they all learn in front of more than 300 million Americans.
105
@RD
The rest of the 7 billion inhabitants of Earth are also watching.
12
When Giuliani explained himself as "working for the president of the United States" he was referring to the office -- not to the individual - which is a distinction he should appreciate. Basically saying - or implying - that he was representing our government: a falsehood, but one which would give him no protection, no attorney client privilege. But the implication is what won him access to various foreign governments.
As with Trump -- that cascade of wild and confusing utterances from Giuliani suggest a lack of mental quickness and control, or an utter lack of common sense. Just another over the top narcissist? Or more?
What was the old Rudy, the prosecutor, really like? Was he this unconcerned with protocols, ethics and the law?
24
@cheryl
To answer your last question - yes.
22
We have already established reasonably that the Ukrainian cabal is about fossil fuels. Your prior work established the connections. But now there is another very serious aggregate of news development that alarms me and should alarm you as well; Trump as we know has been destroying American alliances over the past two years as he enraged our traditional allies and provoked China, one should not do, and now, he has provided an environment favorable to the rise of what will become a world adversary. He removed American Troops from Syria which will lead to a resurgence of the ISIS decapitators. He has just today initiated the enforcement of additional troops in Saudi Arabia, a nation from where the majority of 911 attackers originated, a nation of primitive decapitators, and the nation that butchered a dissident lured from the safety of our nation and a journalist at the Washington Post influentially situated.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a serious problem with Donald Trump, a butcher coddler, leading our nation, with a lawyer from New York proceeding with impunity to protect him, and an Attorney General illegally utilizing a vast Justice department to defend a presidents wrongdoing.
I have always respected the soldiers of our military but not the leaders that get them killed for sometimes pointless reasons, and Saudi Arabia is one of them. Were I a soldier, I would refuse to serve in a nation that beheads it's people and butchers it's freedom fighters. I'm appalled.
138
@PATRICK this is a brilliant response that should be expanded into a full length essay.
32
@Angela
Agreed!
8
@PATRICK I'm not one into consipracy theories but think about this on top of everything else that is going on: who stands to immediately benefit the most from the Saudi oil facility bombings? In this order: oil companies (to wit, the spectacular rise in prices at the pump); the Trump administration (we now have a rationale to send more military aid to the Saudis); the Saudis (best of all worlds - an excuse to start war with Iran and allies, raise oil prices, justify rescinding recent liberalizations); Putin (has more reason to support his players in the middle east). The losers? You and me, pal.
24
I’m really starting to believe that the twin towers was allowed to happen. I never would have believed that we were that vulnerable to allow our homeland to be attacked,not just attacked but using our own planes to do it was totally insane.Our country was really divided and every attempt of possible attack should have been investigated much further.We need to get the older people out of government and replace them with swifter thinking younger fresh people with up to date ideas.
10
Lots of info out there ties Giuliani to 9/11. It's pretty clear he was complicit in allowing it to happen, along with Trump, who pretty much organized and funded the whole operation in order to open up the real estate market in lower Manhattan. This is all easily proven and well known. They should both be in Guantanamo.
6
If Trump brought down the Twin Towers in order to open up the real estate market in lower Manhattan, then why has he never built anything in lower Manhattan.
1
@James,
We were that vulnerable.
Six months before 9/11 when I was in my second year of graduate school, the late former Senator Warren Rudman, a moderate Republican from NH who was at the time the chairman of the Intelligence Oversight Board, participated in a symposium at my university. He was the keynote speaker. He gave a lecture that was part of a report he had prepared for GW Bush. It was on our vulnerability to a terrorist attack - he said that they had determined that the US had about 50,000 ports of entry that were unprotected and that unless we did something to shore up these points of entry we would likely experience a terrorist attack. He further said (at a breakfast I attended with my advisor and about a dozen other people) that he and others on the Intelligence Oversight Board had been trying to impart the seriousness of this to the Bush administration but that they wouldn't listen. But he felt sure that we would be attacked.
At the time I didn't take it seriously either - I thought it was just typical Republican "apocalyptic gloom and doom" (as I described to a friend when he asked me how the breakfast went).
Six months later on 9/11, one of my first coherent thoughts was that Senator Rudman had been right.
I don't know why Bush & Cheney and their administration ignored the Rudman Intelligence Oversight report but it's something that's always haunted me.
12
In order to work officially as a defense lawyer for someone, mustn't there be a formal judicial accusation against that person in the first place? After all, the Mueller investigation remained just that, an investigation... and what did the Biden business have to do with that seemingly farfetched justification? How did Giulani expect to get some "dirt" without proposing something in exchange?
8
Of course he broke the law. Trump broke the law, tasking a private citizen to do his dirty work in undermining the diplomatic ties to an official ally of the USA. Pressuring that ally to cough up "dirt" on a political rival for POTUS. Then covering it up. If a military general orders a lieutenant to go murder a citizen, BOTH are guilty of the same crime. The culpability here for Trump & Giuliani is quite clear.
31
Judging by Trump's eye for talent (half his cabinet resigned in disgrace) it should come as no surprise that the man he chose to be his personal attorney has disgraced himself by acting like an immoral henchman on an absurd mission to besmirch a potential opponent by colluding with a foreign nation in exchange for security aid. Giuliani's fall from respected prosecutor to consiglieri to a mob boss has been nothing short of jaw dropping. We should not be surprised that Giuliani and his operatives suffer the same fate as Trump underlings Manafort and Cohen.
14
Put on your thinking cap and note the absurdity here. Giuliani is being investigated for not disclosing sensitive contacts to the Justice Department. But you have been telling us for months that Barr and his Justice Department are in Trump’s pocket. So if Giuliani had duly reported, nothing would have come of it. Rudy is being investigated for failing to do what would have amounted to nothing. This investigation is a joke.
@michjas - DoJ central isn't investigating guiliani, brighteyes. SDNY is investigating giuliani, same folks who locked up cohen. and i assume you've carefully read the indictment since you opine on its merits. well, here -- try my thinking cap. then you can perhaps grasp that giuliani didn't bother to report what he was doing because he was doing what the boss of everyone in the DoJ asked him to do. but point of law: just because the president tells you to do it, doesn't mean you can do it with criminal impunity. ask oliver north.
16
Guliania: A classic case of hubris writ large and a good fellas list of clients including one guy with an "Ozymandias" complex. This would make a terrific Shakespearean play if it wasn't reality.
12
This is very simple; the details of "Rudy's Great Ukraine Adventure" are moot.
If Rudy refuses to comply with a Congressional subpoena then the Sergeant at Arms of the House, supported by the United States Capitol Police (who report to the House and not the Executive Branch), needs to arrest him the moment he sets foot in the District. The Capitol Police have concurrent jurisdiction everywhere in the District... grab him on his way to breakfast for heaven's sake.
A Writ of Habeas Corpus will not prevail against a duly executed Congressional contempt warrant. They only work if the detention is unlawful.
He make think he represents Trump as President...but he is a private citizen. Rent some space in the DC slammer.
15
Will the FBI raid his office? I’m sure everything incriminating is hidden away on a super secret server somewhere (just like the White House “tapes”). But it would be great to see anyway.
9
Well, it didn't work out so well for the last Trump attorney who was investigated in connection to possible campaign finance violations.
Who's going to bail on the other first? Will Mr. Giuliani squeal or will Mr. Trump bulldoze this unofficial branch of his administration?
The Republicans in Congress may be having extra martinis tonight and rethinking whether they really want to run again next year. Some of them may be cancelling their Sunday talk show bookings.
They've got to know more than we do -- and be wondering what they don't know.
It's inconceivable that none of them is considering exactly when to spearhead a u-turn, to be able to say "I was one of the first x Republicans to speak up..."
Unlike John Dean's famous "cancer on the presidency" Messrs Trump and Giuliani have become tumors on the GOP, We don't know if this is freelance freelance work (using his extra-administration work to further a personal project) on the part of Giuliani or just freelance work for Mr. Ttrump.
13
As happy as I am to see a crook like Guiliani finally seeming to get his day in court, I am saddened that nothing, really nothing seems to stick to the clown we have for President or his family. I hope I am completely wrong, but I see 5 more years of this charade of Administration, followed by a change in the laws that will allow him to perpetuate himself in power... even the hamburgers that are supposed to cause heart attacks are failing this great nation.
19
@Ruben Diaz
No way he will be voted out and finally arrested and put on trial for the crimes he has committed. The Southern District will do their job and time will tell.
6
Igor and Lev were clients of Rudy. Igor and Lev were helping Rudy uncover corruption in the Ukraine. Igor and Lev are grifters who were arrested and will end up in US jails. But watch Trump and Rudy try to use the conspiracy theories that they sold to Rudy to promote their campaign to absolve Putin of the 2016 election interference. Our FBI, our CIA, the Bi-partisan report from the US Senate released last week, and the Mueller investigation have produced reams of evidence that Putin did it. But Rudy and Trump are pulling tin foil reports off the internet that have no evidence backing them to try to gaslight the American people that it was Ukraine that masterminded the scheme. What a complete fraud these men are.
21
Yay! That is all.
2
When ddi America become so corrupt and now run by a mob boss and his henchmen. I lived through Nixon and he was a choir boy in comparison. How did we let this happen, I wonder do foreign leaders like in the Nordic countries ask for a assessment before dealing with the US government. One other item Trump was once again caught lying about whether the American diplomats wife would return to the UK to face justice. He stood there an lied and there was a postit note on his folder that said she would not A woman kills a young man and gets away with it I wonder how much lower can the US sink into the slime. Yes, Rudy is clean in the same way that Manafort was clean about the Ukraine. Must be why he is in prison. Jim Trautman
15
@trautman
We didn't let it happened the ridiculous Electoral College and the ignorant base who haven't a clue let it happen.@trautman
We didn't let it happened the ridiculous Electoral College, and the ignorant base who haven't a clue made it happen.
9
Lock him up. Long overdue.
18
‘Hey—I am not guilty of that foreign lobbying thing because i was working for the president, so all the money that we got for the president ‘s campaign from the foreigners and laundered through lev and Igor doesn’t count for improper foreign lobbying and the information we got to get rid of the ambassador to get the information on Biden for the campaign wasn’t lobbying either.’
Just the kind of statement that a defense attorney wants to hear that his client made . Yeah, Rudy , you really showed them.
10
As someone I hear says, “tick tick tick tick...tick tick tick tick...
7
famous refrain from 2016 comes to mind: “lock [him] up.”
14
He is a disgrace to his profession, i.e. the law. He is not a disgrace to his adopted profession of high-paid lobbyist; he is typical of that group whose ethics are so low that it's hard for them to be disgraced. I hope he will be disbarred forthwith.
14
That's the least this looney should be investigated for. Having availed himself to being nothing short of a conspiracy hunter for hire and prostituting his law license for the benefit of a man who's actively ridiculing the Constitution with every expensed breath, I have little doubt he's plenty dirty to be the subject of several investigations.
17
It looks as though Rudy may be starting to take more after his father, Harold, who was heavily involved with organized crime in NY City
17
Giuliani Acknowledges Knowing Of His Father's Criminal Activity (2000)
https://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/10/nyregion/giuliani-acknowledges-knowing-of-his-father-s-criminal-activity.html
7
Comrades -- I will sign any kontract stating, "[Mr. Giuliani said that because Democrats had questioned his business consulting for foreign clients, his contracts explicitly say he] [I] do[es] not lobby or act as an agent of foreigners[,nor will I shoot dyevuski (girls in Russian) on 5th avenue.]"
4
a long time crook finally meets his match...
7
Only a matter of time before Trump Declares that he doesn't even know Giuliani.
26
@Zobar "... but he may have taken a picture with him!"
8
The delicious irony is that this is exactly what Giuliani himself did when he was a prosecutor going after the mob in the 1980s. He'd bring in junior thugs, sit them down, and say, "You can be loyal to your boss or you can talk to me."
12
Trump will make Rudy G. "the fall guy" and he is an ideal candidate because he can not turn state evidence against Trump because as everyone knows he is clinically insane.
9
Oh I hope they can nail him so he flips on Trump and the rest of the traitors. I got my popcorn ready!
8
Rudy can spin this any way he wants to. H says he was acting on behalf of Trump. Fine, good. But the work he was doing was directly and inevitably related to Trump's political purposes, as president, and therefore it's government work, which means it concerns US, the people of the United States of America.
If you look at it with "any degree of objectivity or fairness," you have to come to that conclusion. So Rudy can dance around this all he wants, but there's no question he was acting as a government agent, dealing underhandedly with a foreign power.
Now, if Rudy was doing something like representing the blind trust created so that Trump could avoid conflict of interest situations, that would be something else. But what's that, you say? Trump has no blind trust? Well, what do you know.
39
This could be bad for Mr. Giuliani. If he wants to continue as Trump's lawyer and as a TV expert commentator, he needs to do something about this. Now is the time for him and his benefactor to use Trump's inauguration slush fund and newly collected campaign funds ($100 million+) to have Rudy pay off the prosecutors to drop any planned charges, and then have them sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect his reputation. He could then continue working for Trump and the Russians (the source of his new found wealth since his last bankruptcy).
And Trump to replenish those funds could close all our embassies in Europe and move them all to his golf resort in Scotland. He could say this was a necessary consolidation to save taxpayer dollars. His ambassador buddies would probably appreciate this--be somewhere where they speak
English and not have to live in one of those old crumbling down medieval cities. There is precedence in this in that of our Corporations having their headquarters in a post office box in Ireland to avoid paying U.S. taxes--all made possible by buying Congressmen and having them sign non-disclosure agreements of the quid pro quos, which also includes most of our Corporate news outlets.
New data shows the wealthiest 0.01% have an overall tax rate lower than the bottom 80%.
36
@loveman0 -Brilliant and hilarious! Please keep writing!
7
Proposal for new constitutional amendment- The president cannot pardon anyone who works for him.
Those he does pardon must make an explicit confession of guilt before the pardon becomes effective.
33
Or anyone he has worked for like Ford did.
7
the early comments here seem to be jumping to (hopeful) conclusions about Giuliani "going down" and projecting angry reactions of the "American people". I recommend otherwise. The way Trump skated after the Mueller investigation, I no longer possess similar hope.
I really think nothing of substance will ever stick to Trump - he is a master of framing a narrative, and no one - be it in politics or law enforcement - has the same type of talent. He can get away with virtually anything, no one anywhere ever hits him with the same force, and the American people don't seem to care enough.
2
@Cal
I agree that it was bad for Trump not to suffer any consequences for the cases of attempted obstruction of justice outlined in the Mueller Report. Because he has never suffered any serious consequences for his actions, Trump continues to act with impunity.
4
@Tenkan Till the last straw falls, and the camel's back goes snap like a twig.
1
As the old adage notes, a fish rots from the head. We're getting closer and closer.
17
Dueling prosecutors.
Democrats start arresting Republicans. And yes, this is transparently partisan.
Can it be long before the actual President and AG in formal control of the Justice Dept find prosecutors to start arresting Democrats?
Of course, "They deserve it." Say it with righteous indignation sure your side is right.
So will the other side.
In the past, we didn't use prosecutors this way. Apparently, now we will. Hang on for a bumpy ride.
3
@Mark Thomason
What was transparently partisan was indicting B Clinton for a process crime -- something MAGAts now claim to hate -- and for years of investigation into HRC because she first said an attack on an embassy was a response to an inflammatory videotape. When she had more info, she issued another, clarifying statement.
What's not partisan is investigating and prosecuting people in government who commit crimes. It's not legal for a private citizen, under the imprimatur of POTUS, to try and conduct a shadow foreign policy, at cross purposes from official US policy. I seem to recall you people whinging that Obama was doing the same thing. The truth is he was meeting with foreign leaders he'd known in his official capacity, perhaps to try and persuade them trump is a temporary aberration and to hold tight until we can right the ship.
Rudy, at trump's urging, was not only trying to dig up irrelevant dirt on Hunter Biden because he was doing business there while the son of a sitting VP (not illegal), he and his cohorts Lenny and Squiggy were also trying to obtain for themselves exactly the same sinecures they were trying to crucify Hunter for.
If you can come up with ANY evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Democrats, with an openly anti-Democrat president, administration, and senate, then let's see it. If under those circumstances you can't, that means there isn't any. Never was.
13
While Trump is the core here, the entire genesis of his career both as a sordid real-estate businessman and as the president is driven by the undergird of attorneys. A section of the attorneys is quite blasé defending Trump willing to risk their profession, careers, and push boundaries in a nonsensical way.
Apart from Sessions, it is hard to fathom that Giuliani, Pat Cipollone, John Dowd, William Barr et.al will go to any length, or do anything to protect their client. Without them, Trump is unavailing. These esteemed legal professionals continue to defend the indefensible with matrilineal zealotry, and sometimes, even help their clients get away from the clutches of the law. At the end of the day, aside the monetary benefits, it is incredulous how they measure their own “moral convictions” or “ethical consequences”.
14
Ambassador Yavonovich said it well today, perhaps Mr. Giuliani and his associates felt like their monetary interests were not as lucrative with her in the post.
20
I've got to admit it's getting better (Better)
A little better all the time (It can't get no worse)
13
Anyone want to place a bet on how long it is before Trump throws Giuliani under the bus? Rick Perry has tire tracks all over him. So does just about everyone who ever worked for Trump.
Can't wait to hear Trump say:
I hardly know the guy. I hired him as my attorney. I don't know anything about what he does or where he goes on his personal time.
Or words to that effect. Watch for it.
29
@Bruce Rozenblit
A reporter asked trump today if Rudy is still his lawyer. He did not say yes.
The upside of having a government filled with lowlife criminals is they have no morals or loyalty. Rudy said today he was doing prohibited stuff in Ukraine as a representative of the president. A proper stoic criminal doesn't take the boss down with him.
None of them have the character to go down alone. That part is fun to watch.
8
So Rudy Giuliani's attempts to subvert democracy and help turn Ukraine (for starters) into a Republican-owned corporation may have come a cropper. That's really tough. May justice prevail.
24
Rudy admits he gathered and distributed materials from Ukraine in an effort to get Yovanovitch fired, but asserts it is ok because he did it at the behest of Trump. This makes no sense. Trump can remove ambassadors for any reason — if he was unhappy with her he didn’t need Rudy to gather dirt. Rudy wanted her out and was gathering evidence to convince Trump to fire her. The question is why.
18
@Chet follow the money...A lot of natural gaz in Ukraine maybe it was the target...
7
@Chet
She was in the way of the lucrative deals Rudy was trying to get for himself with Ukrainian oil companies -- the same deals he was saying were a scandal for the Bidens.
Masters of projection. Every accusation is a confession.
15
@raph101 Thanks, knew there was $$ somewhere with those characters...
2
Giuliani, Trump and all the other sycophants think if they commit their crimes in broad daylight and act as if it perfectly normal, there will be no criminal/corruption charges. They are so very wrong.
This Ukraine scandal is unraveling fast and the amount of corruption and deceit is jaw dropping. A good number of the administration will likely fall because they heeded the direction of their crime boss. Watching Pompeo squirm today in a local interview just demonstrates how deep he is in the scandal.
I hope and pray all of them do jail time. Ambassador Yovanovitch is an American hero today with her testimony. Bravo to her - her opening statement captures the corruption and danger to the US on the world stage. I hope others take her lead and heed her warnings.
36
The playbook is familiar by this time: Donald Trump will toss Giuliani under the bus as he has done in the past with anyone foolish enough to latch onto him.
We can expect Trump in the very near future as Giuliani gets deeper and deeper into the political quicksand to tell the media that he had very little dealing with Rudy, that he was "just some lawyer we used during the campaign" but that he had very little interaction with him.
The biggest mystery for me is that people attach themselves to Trump knowing full well they will be discarded at the first sign of trouble. Trump's loyalty begins and ends with Donald Trump. Everyone else is expendable.
20
I'm not an attorney, so I raise this issue in hope that there is one who reads this. It would seem to me, that the concept of "attorney client privilege" would not apply because in regard to the Ukraine affair, it was a criminal activity. The one that seems more problematic would be executive privilege. l
7
@Capt'n
I have 44 years experience in federal criminal law, both as a federal prosecutor and as a defense attorney. You are correct -- the "crime-fraud" exception is well recognized. You can't rely on attorney-client privilege if a crime is afoot.
"Executive privilege" is a wishy-washy concept seldom litigated. But if the facts show that attorney-client privilege can be breached, certainly a claim of executive privilege would fare no better.
5
@Late Inning Relief Thank you very much. I appreciate the time you took in answering my question.
By the end of this administration we’ll see who went on record to oppose or enable the rampant corruption we have all witnessed. The history of this dark period in American history is being written. I’d like to see the Roberts Supreme Court on record at some point. It would be worth a constitutional crisis to test the integrity of this court. The McConnell Senate has already shown its tolerance of documented misconduct by the Executive branch. The Pelosi House has finally stood up in resistance. Will voters also do their part, overcome their candidate allegiances and vote with a singular purpose to bring down this thuggish White House? This is the test of our democracy of our time. Are we united by the rule of law or divided by lawless tribal political opportunism?
13
He had no legitimate purpose to be acting as a de facto diplomat and clandestinely pressuring Ukrainian officials to manufacture dirt on Biden. He also had no business 'representing' foreigners in their pursuit of corrupt windfalls and money laundering into American PACs.
What is most incredible is his attempts to play the chameleon and change colors as the situation demands. One minute he is representing Trump's interests and is therefore untouchable by law enforcement. The next minute he is representing his own personal interests or other clients.
We are dealing with a manipulative and malicious actor here.
15
Rudy insists that he, not the whistleblower, will be the “hero” when all the dust settles in this matter. Maybe he means he will flip and give testimony to all the nefarious dealings he has done in representing the president. That is the only way he will ever in any way do anything remotely resembling heroism.
11
A pop-culture reference jumps out here as Rudolph Giuliani was considered the most famous law enforcement official in the United States in the 1980's and left a legacy of a host of successful prosecutions of the leaders of New York's "Commission" of organized crime families.
Giuliani's current blatant and pervasive criminality and corruption bring to mind the rise and fall of another law enforcement official who also gained his fame by going after organized crime as the most powerful, famous, and highly regarded prosecutor in a fictional New York City, (known as Gotham City):
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Harvey Dent/Two-Face,
The Dark Knight, 2008
6
How many folks remember the classy Donald Trump/Marla Maples divorce?
I have a feeling that the Trump/Giuliani divorce will make that pale in comparison.
12
Giuliani claims to be representing Trump but in what capacity? It is clear he is not representing the interests of the United States by undermining our ambassador and working with dismissed former prosecutor Lutsenko. It’s also not clear who is paying Giuliani. Again he appears to be working against U.S. interests by his association with or representation of former Russians accused of making illegal political contributions. Thankfully he is under investigation for these activities as there is a lot of smoke to get through.
9
For America to becomes Civilized Nation, many other Layers and Judges working for Donald must go to Jail!
Starting with Brett, William, and the all lot of high ranking GOP Senators!
It seems they see nothing wrong with what Donald is doing to the Country, the Constitutions, all the People of U.S. and the entire Planet !
7
@paolo434
For America to become a civilised nation, a lot of people have to "evolve" a bit and start thinking of "being genuinely part of" and not simply "dominate" the entire Planet...
Of course, it has to begin at home me by narrowing the gap between the "have" and the "have not" so everybody can finaly be proud to be a part of this great endeavour.
Humanity is God's greatest creation... You got the power!... Stop being afraid and make yourself heard !
Make America "Descent and Proud" again !!
2
Funny, I thought it was still October. But, somehow, it seems like Christmas.
11
Well, it’s arguably a horror show for Trump and Rudy.
1
Typical prosecutor
When the facts don’t work tell the jury to use common sense and fairness
Look, you can try to contort anything into anything, but if they have any degree of objectivity or fairness,
But he never denies the truth of the allegation he merely points out its ridiculous but not false
it would be kind of ridiculous to say I was doing it on Lutsenko’s behalf when I was representing the president of the United
3
Mr. Trump told reporters. “I spoke to him yesterday quickly. He is a very good attorney and he has been my attorney.”
Uh-oh, Trump basically called Rudy a "good guy" and referred to his employment in the past tense.
Game over. I hope it was worth it.
18
What an utterly sleazy, sordid bunch of vipers we are dealing with! Giuliani claims there are no grounds to charge him with foreign lobbying disclosure violations because he was doing exempted legal work on behalf of his client Trump, not Lutsenko, and he has cannily drafted his Ukrainian consulting contracts with explicit language that he does not lobby or act as an agent of foreigners. Yet even Giuliani admits, according to this article, that his efforts to defend Trump in the Mueller investigation "morphed into a more general dragnet for dirt on Mr. Trump’s targets" and that it became "difficult to separate those lines of inquiry from his original mission of discrediting the origins of the special counsel’s investigation." A "general dragnet for dirt" on Trump targets is not legal work! And now Trump is trying to distance himself from Giuliani by saying he today was "uncertain" whether he was still representing him! The House has the authority to arrest Giuliani and should immediately do so. It is time to squeeze these birds and see which canary will sing.
13
Mr. Giuliani has denied wrongdoing, but he acknowledged that he and the associates worked with Ukrainian prosecutors to collect potentially damaging information about Ms. Yovanovitch and other targets of Mr. Trump and his allies, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his younger son, Hunter Biden.
Giuliani denied wrongdoing, and then he acknowledged wrongdoing.
I can see why he was married so many times.
14
Pretty soon there will just be a huge mountain of former Trump associates with a bus teetering on top of it.
18
Sir Rudy knows the routine. SDNY opens the door and the best reporters are educated. SDNY knows where this is going. Sources are talking. The first man to talk gets the best deal. Will President Trump save his team? What is the timing in Paul Manafort? Michael Cohen is toast. Rudy? He will want to know, fast. And the president may want to consider walking away and claiming he was not directing Rudy to do as he did. Who would believe that? Rudy's book: In Bed with a Liar. In Good Company.
6
How many personal lawyers connected to a perceived criminal enterprise running out of the White House will it take congress to admit that the lowest common denominator isn't anyone outside the White House but rather the person that has taken up residence there? Mr. Trump is the only thing in common with all the criminal arrests and convictions! He is the person orchestrating everything!
11
Where is AG Barr in all of this? He did not recuse himself from the decision to dead end the whistleblower complaint. Is he going to recuse himself from this?
The rot starts at the top.
10
To paraphrase the MAGAheads at Trump's rallies in 2016 "Lock them up!". Except, this criminal cast of characters really deserves it. Benedict Arnold was a true patriot compared to "Rudy". Lastly, I hope that Giuliani will now be treated to that special brand of Trumpian loyalty: none, except to himself.
9
The corruption is matched only by the ineptitude. Which is fortunate for us, and the nation.
13
"She was recalled in the spring as part of Mr. Trump’s broader campaign to pressure Ukraine into helping his political prospects."
" . . .*allegedly* as part of . . ."
" . . .**what is being investigated* as Mr. Trump's . . ."
Arrest them all now, even if you don't know why.
They do.
6
It would be the height of poetic justice if professional and patriotic women like Marie Yovanovich, Fiona Hill, Nancy Pelosi, and Judge Howell bring the likes of Trump and Giuliani down. Perp walks of my dreams! Make it so.
18
Prevent covert foreign influence or enable covert foreign influence. Would you please answer the question Mr. .Giuiliani and remember that you are under oath.
6
Not trying to make a joke here, but who else thinks dementia or general cognitive decline is playing a big role in politics now? Trump can’t talk really at all, Biden has trouble with finishing a coherent sentence, and Crooked Rudy bears no resemblance to the fearless, law-loving prosecutor/mayor he used to be. I’m not sure he turned evil as much as he lost his critical thinking.
Let’s get some fresh blood in office and in Congress. People who have some idea what their constituents actually need. Out with McConnell, Giuliani, Biden, ”Lindsey“ Graham and Donald Trump. In with Mayor Pete and Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Tulsi Gabbard. Let’s wake up folks in 2020 and catch the clock !
7
Just a long soap opera.
2
“I will be the hero in this story!” HAH!
4
Certainly good news but it shouldn’t have taken this long to begin to bring down this criminal syndicate. They’ve been lying, cheating and thieving since the inauguration. And the damage they’ve done is enormous.
12
America’s Mayor is turning into Trump’s Fall Guy. Next act: Giuliani’s famous aria, “Dear Nancy, Here Are All My Recordings.”
6
This is the same Rudy that, as mayor-elect, thrust himself into the middle of an EMS call in front of 444 East 86th St. I know, as I was one of the paramedics on the call. His actions, were he not mayor-elect, were clear ‘obstruction of government administration’ (‘OGA’ in legal vernacular). NY’ers suffered through his “noun verb 9/11” era, as he made tens of millions as Giuliani Partners. The City was never better because of Rudy Giuliani. Our ‘true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government’, as chiseled on the frieze of the NYS Supreme Court building must apply here. Or, as a New Yorker might yell from a cab “Lock him up!”
https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/16/nyregion/giuliani-challenges-ems-at-accident.html
775
@Nick
“I mean, think about it! Rudy Giuliani. There’s only three things he mentions in a sentence — a noun, a verb, and 9/11. There’s nothing else! There’s nothing else!”
— Joe Biden during a 2007 presidential debate
Is Giuliani going after Joe Biden for Trump or for himself or is it a two-fer?
79
@Nick /Read part of the 1993 report. Well, it's the same guy, only older and more criminally obstinate. Lock him up!
51
@Nick Interesting Comment. I remember at the time of 9/11, while so many were praising him, it always looked like a photo opp and he like Trump was turning it into being about him. I just assumed I was missing something, but after reading your comment, perhaps I wasn't.
22
Mr. Giuliani, you don't want to go to prison, right? So, let's make a deal...
8
When you have a carpetbagger for a president himself, is it really any surprise that all the presidents men are out there working as shills on their own behalf?
7
The dominos are falling.
3
"trump" is like a rabid alley cat on drugs. I understand why Giuliani was fine with that, but why anyone else is willing to get anywhere in his vicinity after the horror show we've all seen by now is just mind-boggling.
5
By Wednesday, Trump will not even be able to spell Rudy, let alone Guiliani. "Who?" Thank you to the Federal Prosecutors in New York; There is a God.
9
@Martha MacC
You mean Giuliani.
Such huge egos, all bound to fall. What I still don't understand is how Trump's followers are still following. He's a conman, surrounded by conmen. At what point do his supporters ask themselves, how is it that every challenge to Trump is a hoax and fake and very unfair, as opposed to accurate and true?
9
I just had an associate telling me I'm wrong. Trump is looking out for us all. I was astounded but this is where we are at.
Look in the mirror America… At the monster we have created.
5
On behalf of all New Yorkers, I apologize for not sending DC our best people.
12
Marie Yovanovitch is an American hero. On my knees with fingers crossed I hope more professional public servants will now have the courage to speak the truth because of her stunning bravery and impeccable moral compass, willing, at last! to defy the absurd and empty bully posturing by the current Executive Branch operators, showing the world what selfish cowards they truly are and to level the deadliest, unvarnished and desperately needed honesty about this sickening turn of American foreign policy.
11
what goes around comes around - enjoy Rudolph
4
“Rudy? Of course I know Rudy. We met back in New York a long time ago. A good man, a great man, a great man. I have not talked to Rudy for a long time, a long time. Maybe two years is it? I see him on the television and he doesn’t look so good, people say he maybe has some sort of mental thing I don’t know. But I can tell you this. Rudy is being treated very badly. Very badly, especially by you people, the so-called Fake News on your Witch-hunt. Believe me. But no, I don’t really know Rudy, not sure if we’ve ever talked or even ever met. Maybe so, I don’t know, I meet lots of people. Wouldn’t be surprised if there was a picture of me and this Rudy fellow, but I take pictures with lots of people, even you losers.
What did you say this Rudy person’s last name was?”
Donald Trump quote.
15
POTUS said today that he didn't know if Rudy G. was his lawyer.
I expect that tomorrow morning he will say that he is not.
Tomorrow evening or maybe Sunday morning he will say "I never heard of the guy.... Oh, him? He hung around, but I never did like him."
9
Hard to believe that the lawyer from Fraud Guarantee is dirty!
4
“Ask Cohen.”
Boom! Cohen is in jail.
“Ask Giuliani.”
Boom. A lot of criminals in jail are already pumping iron.
5
The Vietnam War draft dodger's lawyer should be more than eager to appear before Senator Lindsey Graham's Judiciary Committee now! Since Graham is so anxious to pus the draft dodger's alleged vilification, victim syndrome of being spied upon and that the 2016 election hoax arose in Ukraine, and not Russia, why not actively encourage Rudy to appear before the committee? Inquiring minds want to know! Besides, Graham as the full backing of the WH because he needs the draft dodger's support in his 2020 re-election campaign. Graham will be right at home, having the race baiting, xenophobic immigrant fearmongering mouthpiece to echo his support, especially since the Democratic challenger is an articulate, educated, informed, compassionate, understanding, and open minded Black American male. Graham should openly welcome that support, especially having witnessed the sickening race baiting display in Minneapolis Thursday evening at the barker carnival circus event. Those are the very folks Graham appeals to, so why not have Giuliani testify before the Judiciary Committee? I am confident the Democratic senators will greatly relish the opportunity to cross examine Rudy! Race matters!
3
About time. Lock him up, and then make sure there is room in his cell for trump too!
4
To repurpose a phrase, it's Giuliani time.
3
Could raids on Rudy’s homes and offices be far behind?
4
Looks like Trump is backing up the bus for Rudy...
5
Rudy as "America's Smearer".
What happened to this guy? He's as weird as Trump.
4
Big surprise. Right?
3
Rudy is going to jail. First.
2
Get on with it.
3
I guess this is why Trump fired Giuliani.
2
Investigate him, arrest him and then repeat with William Barr.
6
And this headline surprised...no one.
2
Picture a huge bus with Trump driving it plowing down cohort after cohort. Dozens coming out from under it arms, legs. And him yelling out the bus “I don’t know him, I don’t know him, he doesn’t work for me, he’s a bum, it was all their fault, I never lie, I’m the chosen!!! Sounds like a B movie. Too bad it’s real.
7
@Elly Only problem is, I don’t think Trump knows how to drive.
3
Watch how fast trump wipes his hands of Rudy.
5
'Witch hunt' turns up another witch. Which witch is next?
There once was a witch - so slick;
He regularly, to Fox News, did speak.
He wore lawyer clothes,
Had a criminal nose,
And his dome was shiny and sleek.
And his heart was corrupted and black;
He wanted an election hacked.
He cast a foul potion
Across the ocean,
But the Donald did not have his back.
10
There is so much talk as to "where did Rudy go wrong?"
I would propose that Giuliani's heroic demeanor in the hours following the 9-11 attacks was the aberrant behavior, in the context of a very long career in which Giuliani repeatedly trespassed the boundaries of decency. Who can forget his attack on the Brooklyn Art Museum? Who can forgive his treatment of New York's African American citizenry with regard to his overly aggressive (and morally wrong) policing of what remains an underclass in our society.
Let us hope that justice is ultimately done in this matter.
422
How about instead of us just hoping justice is done, let’s start loudly demanding justice be done? We have the power and the numbers to deal with this gang of criminals that have infested the White House. And we have the moral authority. It’s time to get angry and get loud.
26
@MSPWEHO What was his heroic demeanor, extraordinary performance ? Name one. He just walked around the block not sure how far from WTC.
7
Almost as good as it feels that those who are in the inner circle of despicable acts coming to their day of reckoning is the thought the do nothing, see nothing, say nothing GOP are all going over the edge. Political cartoon: high cliff at edge of stormy ocean waves with good old boys running toward edge and falling down. We are all so agonizing over what they have been doing to us, this country, and yes the world. We are tired of the mess they have made. It will take us and our children to get us back on the right track years.
108
@Elly
Sadly, millions will always stand by Trump and his circle of immoral enablers.
2
Trump has to cut himself loose from Rudy, and Rudy is barred from disclosing any information he has about Trump’s past wrongdoing due to both the requirements of client confidentiality and the attorney-client privilege. Rudy will be left to swim with the fishes with no lifeline. Should be interesting to watch. Nevertheless, it can’t be good for Trump for his lawyer and his lawyer’s business associates to be indicted for crimes committed while they were trying to advance Trump and tear down Biden.
42
You can’t just hire an attorney to be your personal 24/7 thug then claim every exchange is somehow protected by attorney/client privilege, and the privilege also does not apply when the lawyer and client are participating in criminal activity.
5
@M.i. Estner
if rudy went to the Ukraine as a representative of the u.s. (which I believe he said he did)he cannot use atty client privilege. rudy also said that Pompeo told him to go.
7
Attorney-client privilege doesn’t apply to conceal or obstruct criminal behavior. Period.
9
A familiar echo from the Micheal Cohen days, with Trump claiming innocent obliviousness & directing questions to the man Trump claimed today “has been my attorney.” This to our leaders in Washington who continue to defend Trump: he has a history of turning on friends & associates. For those of you who are hiding in the hopes that this horror will all go away—-There’s safety in numbers. Organize yourselves and come out fighting for truth, Justice, and what many of us still think of the American way.
102